Dan Sypniewski

Shenandoah-100

2008-09-02T18:32:00.000-04:00

It was a foggy and humid day. It was in the 80’s and lots of areas with mud from the previous days rain.

The Shenandoah Race went well for me well I crashed on the 96th mile but I was determined to finish the race, so I did. I picked my self up and was going to walk the last 4-miles if I had to!

How did I crash? Well the last 20 miles I felt great and was determined to catch the guy in front of me and I did on the last long climb, but he was on a FS bike and rode the rocky stuff a little better than me and would always pull away. So I caught him on the climb and he pulled away on the decent, I was trying to take it a little less than “balls-out” on the previous descents but on this one I was trying to keep-up. I came over a water check-dam in the air and the front tire landed on a rock the size of a mini-basketball, my tire blew-out, I went over the bars, slid and rolled, it hurt, I’m sure I was doing 25-30mph at the time. So I fixed the tire, took out the loose spoke spun the wobbly wheel and decided to walk the rest of the course, after a few mins I was ready to finish riding. And I did. I hurt today. My arm in is a sling, I have A/C joint damage, sore, bruise, scrapped ribs, my hands hurt and I have a scratch on my head.

But I finished!

Over all I’m happy with the race I finished 15mins faster this year despite the time from the crash and everything that went along with it. Oh yeah, broken helmet and glasses. I ate and drank in a timely manner and didn’t bonk, I spent only about 2-mins at 4 aid stations. I road most of the course alone, not on anyone’s wheel, not in a pace line and not pulling anyone.

It was a good day.

9:45:00
58th place

Shenandoah 100

2008-08-28T23:56:00.001-04:00

Cleaning and lubing the bike, drinking lemonade and packing. Yup that is what I have been doing for the last 5-hours and still a couple more to go. Greg, Chris, Liz, Nicole and I are leaving for Virginia in the morning, 10-hours in the truck and long mountain downhill single track dreams the fun stuff! Oh yeah don’t forget the hours climbing up the mountains! Personally I can’t wait! I loved this race last year and can’t wait until Sunday, well Sunday after the race is over and we are chillin in the pool drinking a cold one and telling our race stories!

Wish me luck!

hint hint...commentsm anyone can do it!

its thursday

2008-08-28T12:51:00.002-04:00

Classes started yesterday, today is the second full day of classes, what else can I say. today its has been raining since I woke up at 6:45am hopefully it isn't muddy and or training at the Shenadoah-100

a book to a movie

2008-08-25T08:59:00.002-04:00

I read this book maybe a year ago. And now they are making it a movie.
The book was written by Chuck Palahniuk the books name is “Choke”

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/choke/

I thought the book was fkin crazy! and loved it!

I'm sleepy

2008-08-19T16:22:00.000-04:00

School starts in 8 days.
My allergies since today are in full force, which means I can’t sleep at night, have a hard time breathing, my nose is raw from wiping and blowing, my eyes itch and I need to go buy books for school.

Oh yeah Friday is my 30th birthday.

Party at Hatchy’s in downtown Utica, Friday night.

Shenandoah 100.

2008-08-09T14:25:00.002-04:00

Well the Shenandoah is fast approaching once again. I just registered today, finally I was laying in bed this morning and decided its time to do it. I’m not really sure why I have been putting it off, but the fact of the matter is I’m a procrastinator, well not until the recent 8 or 9 months have I become this way but it is kind of annoying, to me and I’m sure those close to me too. Oh well.

S100 last year. 9:52:29 good for 61st. hopefully I’m not slower this year.

The course profile including the 6 mountains to climb.

it's Tuesday

2008-08-05T20:00:00.001-04:00

Riding just hasn't been the same lately. a few weeks ago I fell pretty good, well hard and since then I haven't felt really strong on the bike. Shanandoah is only a few weeks away. I hope the riding gets better for me really soon. Last year at the S100 I was on the last of some antibiotics, I was feeling drained, weak and just not so good. My allergies were really really bad too. hope this year is better. now that I have a benchmark from last years race I'm kind of nervious and hope I'm not slower.

ride miles this week, 119.
average speed, I'll just say it was slow.

The Weekend

2008-08-04T13:28:00.004-04:00

It was a long Weekend. Friday Lisa and I went to her friends Sara and Joe's Wedding, which was held at the beautiful Twin Lakes golf course. It was a very fun and exciting evening, Lisa had the filet mignon with redskin potatoes, red peppers and artichokes and I had the stuffed chicken with asparagus, artichokes and red peppers but of course because I not a red meat kind of guy.

I look ripped in this photo, but lisa looks beautiful so...

So the evening went on with this and that just as the other 20 weddings I have attended, but the cake, Lisa and I kind of feel like we got the shit-end-of-the-stick, because our table along with a few others didn’t get wedding cake, but instead we got some dry brownie with raspberries in the middle. Well at least it wasn’t a cash bar.

so beside all that we danced and a wonderful time.

Saturday and Sunday I worked at the Olive Garden. I have nothing good to say about waiting tables except that I make money doing it. Well, it is motivation to do well in school.

The Movies

2008-07-30T09:46:00.003-04:00

Went to See the Movie "Step Brother"

As said Erin Cullin “As I left the theater, shaking my head in disgust, I tried to unravel whether I am simply becoming humorless in my old age, or whether Hollywood’s comedic writers are devolving into a group of potty-mouthed vulgarians who no longer know what is funny or in good taste.”

Erin you are getting old! But he holds just one persons opinion.

I found the Movie very Funny, I love the vulgarness, the Dirty humor and fact that they are Toys-R-Us kids, and never wanna grow up, but the movie has a serious turn and becomes a little depressing for a couple minutes, but picks back up again. I was laughing me ass watching this movie! I would pay full price to see it again. If you liked Blades of Glory you will also like this movie.

Trip to the Detroit Zoo.

2008-07-30T09:26:00.008-04:00

Lisa and I went to the Zoo on Monday, it was a beautiful day for the long 4.5 hour walk, but didn’t seem to all that long, we saw every animal exhibit. Once we were leaving walking to the car we both thought it was 2.5 hours. As soon as we got back to my house Lisa was passed out in my bed and I was soon to follow.

Since it the temperature was in the 70’s the animals were very active, probably more active than I have ever seen before. We got close up looks of the Tigers running around and playing, the Rhinos walking around which is Lisa’s favorite, we heard a Lemur fight as we were walking away from the exhibit, some turtle were playing leap frog or leap turtle would be more appropriate. Smug Peacocks wondering around, Zebras were eating carrots and sweet potatoes, the Polar Bears and the Butterfly Garden.

It was a fun day at the Zoo.

More Pictures of the Zoo animals

Stony Creek Time Trial and Team Fraser After Party

2008-07-29T10:55:00.004-04:00

Finally good trail conditions. Stony Creek Time Trial was dry and fast. I didn’t have the bearings I needed to race in the geared class, so single speed it was. I lined up for the start behind about 20 other single speeders and took off at 12:22:30. I was full force off the line for the first mile riding on the grass, during that time I just kept looking at the computer, watching my speed keeping it over 20mph until the first turn. Once I was in the single track I was having lots of problems trying to make fast clean passes around the kids and beginners. On a sandy single track down hill a guy fell in front of me, I had to stop and after asking of he was ok I had to run up the next hill. The next issue was the rear bake lever dropped to the bars. It’s hard riding without a rear brake. Finally I was back on the grass on the way to the finish and with a tailwind I was able to keep the speed over 21mph for the final mile. I ended up finishing 2nd 0:02:14 behind Eric Tompkin.
I decided that 58 gear inches is to small of a gear for the Stony TT, maybe to small for me these days…period.

After the Stony Creek TT, we, Team Fraser had a party at Joe lee’s house. The turnout was great, about 50 people showed. Lisa came out and lots of new faces, which is always welcome.

Here is a link to some pictures half of which I took and the other half Rick Smith took. Thanks again Rick!

Team Fraser Party Pictures

It was a good day and fun was had by all! Thanks everyone for coming out to the party and celebrating mountain biking with us.

Ruby Campground XC Race

2008-07-22T15:56:00.007-04:00

Sunday July, 20th

At about 6:30am on sunday morning my good buddy and teammate called me he asked,
“what are you doing?”
I said, “sitting on the couch drinking OJ and watching the huge rain cloud that is covering half the state move toward Port Huron.”
Greg said, “ man its not going to be bad it hardly rained yesterday and the forcast today is the same as yesterday”
I said, “ok I’ll be at your house in 30-mins”
So greg Nicole and I are all loaded up and in my car about a mile away from home.
Greg said, “dude it going to be fuckin bad!”
I said “I know”
Then Greg said, “I knew you needed just a little talking into going”

Greg was right. I need some convincing that things were going to be ok.

So we’re at Ruby unloading at about 8:45am and it started sprinkling, I was thinking that the Kenda Small Block tires were the wrong choice., oh well that is what I have on the bike. We registered, start warming-up and the rain fall is picking up a little. I’m thinking oh well, no turning back now. So here we are lined-up for the start. Robert Linden warns us about all the wet bridges, one of which I had just fallen on. The gun or whistle whatever it was goes off, I really don’t remember. The start wasn’t to hard, Greg lead it off seemed like nobody else wanted it to bad. I was sitting in 6th up the first hill with my teammate Chris Goddard right behind me. Mark Parmelee was in front of me, but soon Mark and I were battling for position up a rooty climb, Mark was to my left and we were rubbing shoulders and elbows up the climb trying to stay on our bikes. soon I was in front of him and we were in the tight single track. Thankfully it stopped raining about the end of the first lap.

Throughout the first 3-laps Mark the CYCLETHERAPY guy and a CYCLE FIT and I were stitching back in forth passing each other as we made minor mistakes on the muddy trail. Soon up the climb called Lance I was alone, I had chain suck really bad and the rear derailleur was ripped around the cassette and opposite original position it was supposed to be. So not being able to ride like that I has forced to stop in the middle of the steep muddy climb, I thought I was done, but I tried and fix my bike. I had to take off the back wheel, taking me about 6 or 7 mins I was able to free the derailleur the spring was tight that sprung back and smashed my finger against the chainstay, it hurt like hell, I didn’t bother to look at it, but just ran up the remaining hill. Once I was at the top one of the Cycle fit guys in front of he was having a problem too. I rode past telling him I was having problems too. So after that chain suck I vowed to ride the big ring the rest of the race avoiding sucky chain suck. I soon looked down at my throbbing fingers and noticed that blood was dripping off one finger and covered in blood, the derailleur ripped off a big portion of skin at the top of my nail. On well, I though. For the remainder of the 3-lap I fell a few times, slid out falling in a raspberry thorn bush hurting my bloody hand again, I was a little tired from trying not to fall and ended-up falling over in the river trying to run across the knee deep water, later slid-out after passing this guy named Will.

Will said, “ go ahead and pass”
I said, “I’m trying”

but it was muddy and dangerous, but I got around and about 10 feet in front of him managed to slide head first into the blunt-end of 1-foot diameter log, I was thankful for helmets! but I got up quick, Will asked me if I was ok, I guess he had a really bad fall riding a road bike ending in a coma for a couple days.

So the race was back on, but it’s now half way thought the 4th lap and my hand grip starts to loosen, but about 1/3 was still bonded to the bars. The trail was changing at this point, it was drying a little and I felt like I was getting a little faster, I didn’t have anymore trouble sliding out,. I was riding up a climb and looked down to see if anyone was behind me and Chris Goddard was getting closer compared to the previous lap, about 30-seconds away. so once I was up the hills I started to hammer hopping he wouldn’t catch-up, I didn’t want to sprint to the finish with Chris, because I don’t think I could beat him. Once I was coming around to the start and there were people lined up in the transition area, so I had to ride around the field in the camping sites to get the finish line, I was confused, disoriented and had no idea where the finish line was located, but I was able to get there without anyone challenging 5th place. I was happy I didn’t get seriously hurt and finished the race.

Elite Men Pro/Semi-Pro Top-10

1 TANGUY, CHRISTIAN WOLVERINE AMERICAN CYCLE & FIT

2 LAPRAIRIE, RANDY
3 KUHN, GREG TEAM FRASER
4 PARMELEE, MARK CYCLETHERAPY RACING
5 SYPNIEWSKI, DAN TEAM FRASER

6 137 GODDARD, CHRIS 44 TEAM FRASER
7 YORK, ADAM TRAILS EDGE CYCLERY
8 ANTONUK, ALAN TRAILS EDGE CYCLERY

9 STANGE, KYLE CYCLE FIT
10 VEGA, ARMANDO PAINT CREEK BICYCLES

I give props to everyone that came out, raced in the mud and finished their race, it was a tough day for racing in the mud on one of the most challenging courses in Michigan. Thanks Team SandBag for the trail, the Beer and the Food!

its thursday.

2008-07-17T22:19:00.004-04:00

Today I took the day off after riding two days at Ruby I was feeling it the second day so though it would be a good idea to just clean-up the bike and rest, so I doing some stuff, secret stuff for Lisa’s birthday which is on the 22nd, cleaned up the bike and then got home from her trip so I spent some time with her. We got this “No Stress Chess” game that teaches you how to play, because neither of us knows how to play, which is kind of weird, but checkers…we are masters!!!

so its what I do, learn new things.

Some Sweet Videos

2008-07-16T20:57:00.002-04:00

checkout these Videos from Mashers Media

Bloomer
http://revver.com/video/851959/expert-elite-classes-bloomer/

this Bloomer video has crashes!
http://revver.com/video/852753/the-2nd-bloomer-video/

Brighton Stage Race
http://revver.com/video/965085/the-brighton-stage-race-sat-6708/
at 9 mins is the STXC race

Ruby Race
http://revver.com/video/898009/ruby-campground-july-20th-2008/

Ruby Pre-Ride

2008-07-16T11:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Greg Kuhn and I went to the Ruby course to pre-ride. What I great trail!! Gonna love racing it, just my kinda of course, tight twisty, steep climbs, tight switchbacks and water crossings! Yesterday the water level was down, just above my ankle.

ride, crash and the hobble home the RIDE OR DIE way.

2008-07-10T11:00:00.002-04:00

when will I stop hitting the ground!?

Since I fell the day before the Stony Marathon I haven’t been riding much, but kind of taking a little time off too. So yesterday I get back out there and start the training again. Road from home to do the World cup lap at Bloomer, then I did this other World Cup loop at Bloomer that I made-up. I did each 5-times. Theses are pretty tough laps that last about 2-mins, then after rode the trails at Bloomer. By the time I left there I had about 25 miles, no big deal. I was feeling great! So here I am heading to Stony to ride the tails and do my Stony Cup Loop, which I did 5-time too, then I headed into the single track, at about 40-miles. I was hammerin in the single track hitting everything like I was racing a time trial, still feeling great, then I come up this roller with a downhill right hand turn on the other side, next thing I know I was on the ground, handle bars twisted around, ripped my spoke bracelet of my wrist, I hit my head a little, elbow, knee, calf, chest and back all had scrapes on them. So I went back to see if I could see my tracks to find what happened, my front tire skipped over a root and when it landed I guess I didn’t have enough weigh on the front tire, I could see where I was out of traction and the tread was sliding through the loose dirt. It was a rough fall, hurt like hell, so as I standing there I felt my left quad started to tighten up, I look at it and its all red and is starting to feel like the injury I had to my right leg over the winter, which resulted in a bruise that showed 2-weeks later and lasted about 20-days. I hope that doesn’t happen again, cuz I could hardly walk, much less ride the bike.

So after I start riding again, and soon after I hit a tree with my shoulder and it tosses me off the bike and when my bike lands on the rear rotor landed on a log and got bent to hell, it was so bad the tire wouldn’t turn past he bend, so I had to disconnected the rear brake and find a way to keep the caliper out of the spokes. I wasn’t feeling good, so I tried calling to get a ride home, which was pretty weak of me, but nobody was answering and it was in the middle of the day before everyone gets off work. so I started riding around the lake to keep the leg loose, never heard from anyone and ended-up riding home. So as I heading out of the park I reach into my jersey pocket to get my last gel for the 15-miles home only to pull my hand out covered with gel, and a gel pack with gel running out of it and all over my top tube of the bike. I guess it’s ok to assume that it had exploded during one of the times I fell, but I was happy I brought $5 with me so I stopped to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola, which got me home. By the time I got home I had 64.8 miles on the bike, Lisa came over and we got in my pool and I cooked salmon grill and pasta.

a Dream I had this morning.

2008-07-08T10:40:00.000-04:00

Last night I had a dream that I was racing the carbon bike and the frame cracked. I guess It was a bad dream. I don’t know where I was riding, what trail, but it was a difficult decent. I felt the bike was riding weird, I looked down and the frame was cracking just behind the head tube on the top tube, I hit the brakes and it got worse and worse, finally the head tube separated from the top and down tubes. I didn’t fall, didn’t get hurt. The next thing I remember is putting the bike back together and everything being ok, but still broken, I continued to ride and when I got to the bottom of the decent I rode the bike into the shop, the alarm clock went off, end of the dream.

Yeah I had a problem with the frame but not that bad.

Anyone ever have dreams like this?

I want to ride.

2008-07-03T10:51:00.003-04:00

Since Friday the Day before the Stony Marathon I have had some knee pain. The Taurine is out of commission so I was riding the SS bike the day before the race, hammering, getting used to the bike again, since it had been 2-weeks since I rode it. Yeah I fell on my knee, right on a rock. It hurt. Friday night I had to work, Saturday was the race, Sunday I had to work, which requires a lot of walking.

So since I haven’t been riding I got around to it and I started a recycling bin that I will be taking to the recycling center, every other week or so. My roommate doesn’t recycle and since I have lived here I was planning on starting, so I did, finally.

Yesterday I was working on the SS bike for about 4-hours cleaning and checking everything. I need a new raceface BB, mine is shot from the mud race. But after a massive cleaning effort everything else is good. I have this room on the back of the house its a sunroom porch that I use for the bike. I don’t have a work bench or table so I found some wood in the trash (would that be recycling or reusing?) and some wood around the house. I built a bench, a table for working in the bike. its nice, I also found some old aluminum weather stripping that I was able to use as edging, helping to stop things from rolling off the top. I will have to take a pic and post it.

One thing nice about the time off I got to spend lots of time with Lisa on Tuesday, she didn’t have to work, I made us some Salmon, asparagus, whole wheat paste with a lemon butter garlic sauce, and ended with some brownies. It was very good.

Stoney Marathon Race.

2008-06-29T13:12:00.008-04:00

Stony Creek Marathon was yesterday. I was originally planning to race the Taurine in the Elite class, but was having problems with the bike that can’t be fixed by simple means, so the next choice was racing the Single Speed bike in the SS class. I bet a bunch of people would have much rather raced on a SS.

It had been raining for the last week, just about everyday before the race. Certain places of the Stony XC course can handle the water quite well and others not so well...period. Most parts of the trail that were extremely muddy were taken out of the race, which I agree should have been since it would have completely destroyed the trail, as I’m sure some parts are a disaster.

After the classes left the starting line before us all the pro/semi-pro guys and girls, expert guys and girls, my guess about 50-60 racers, it was soon our turn in the single speed class. The race started as I expected the 25ish people in the single speed leaving the line and a small group of four of us hammering in the beginning right off the start, but soon after maybe 3-miles the 4-man group divided into 2 groups. Eric Tompkin and I were in the lead group taking turns pulling, Eric and I work well together, so we were hammering trying to put as much space in between us and the other guys as possible. Knowing that there were many other people in the classes before us we made and constant effort to make good passes, thanking everyone that was so kind as to let us around. Our first lap was 39-mins. Soon enough half way through the second lap Eric and I caught up to some 20-29 expert guys which was the second group to start. passing maybe, 40-45 people. Ending the 2nd lap in 40-mins. With about 1-2 miles to go on the second lap Eric started to make a little distance on me going up some hills. I was pushing a little bigger gear them him and was having a little trouble on a few of the climbs and extra muddy sections, so he pulled away. I caught a few more expert guys here and there that worked with me a little but I was soon away from them either in the single-track or on some climbs. At the end of the 3rd lap I was told Eric was 3-mins in front of me. I didn’t want to push it too hard in the mud and end the race hurt so I just kept a steady pace for a 42-min lap. But only later to find out that Eric was only 30-seconds in front of me. That is a big difference 3-mins compared to 30-seconds. So I didn’t try to hard to catch him, and was hoping that I wasn’t in danger of being caught by a guy in 3rd. So I ended the race in 2nd place.

Lap Times 39, 40, 41, 42.

No crashes only a couple close 2-wheels drift in the muddy corners that I was able to save. It was good day, I don’t mind the mud.

I want to thank my wonderful Lisa for the perfect bottle hand offs, I can’t thank you enough and I wouldn’t have done so well without you, seeing you every lap helped motivate me and kept a smile on my face even though I had mud in my eyes.

Bye Bye Coilair

2008-06-29T11:43:00.003-04:00

The other day I finally sold the CoilAir. I didn’t use the bike much; a 6-inch travel bike in Southeast Michigan just doesn’t make much sense, so thought I would use the money for other interesting things. I did love riding the bike in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina and Vermont. While I was racing it brought me to a 4th place finish at the Colorado Super-“D” race. Took if off a few drops here and there, the biggest 9’ or 10’ some really nice downhill runs out of state and in northern Michigan. So, in memory of the bike...

The VeeDub kind of seems like a hearse taking the bike in its casket to its final demise, the UPS store. May you have a better home in Gainesville, Florida. Are there any mountains in Florida? I’ve never been there.

My Addiction

2008-06-24T21:55:00.003-04:00

I have had an addiction that most of you might not know about, you can read about it below.

Driving south from Rochester all I can think about is how bad it hurts, how little patients I have, how much I can’t take it any more. I gotta get it! Here I am driving, I know I got $10-dollar bill in my pocket. Oh yeah, I can get just enough to make myself feel better! After driving for a while, passing mile road after mile road, the drive seeming like a life time, I finally get to my destination, I sit in my car hesitating to get out, I really shouldn’t do this anymore, its happening every day now, even a few times a day. I’m not hooked, no, I can stop any time! The thought goes through my head, what has my life come to, am I a failure, is there something wrong with me? Ok I’m stressed, things are fucked up again, I just need something to help calm me, help me escape, this is the last time! Maybe not, who am I kidding I’ll be back here tomorrow. These people are always happy to see me, they’re always here when ever I need them, yeah, they know my name just like a friend should, you would think they're my friends the way they say hi to me but they aren’t, there are just here to make money, they don’t care about my addiction what is going to happen to me, where I’m going to get the money for my next fix. Who fucking cares, what am I waiting for I should be in there already, so I pulled the keys out of the ignition and step out of my car.

As I walk across the black top, up the curb across the grass, taking the straightest and fast path to the door, all I can think about is what I’m about to have in my hands in a couple minutes. My heart starts beating a little faster, I get a lump in my throat, can’t swallow, I can’t get there fast enough with out running, I know what’s about to happen and its just like the first time over and over again. I open the door, it kinda smells like burning dirt, but the smells that are putting my senses into over drive is what I’m after and it smells so good! its dark inside and everyone is sitting on these old chairs and broken down couches doing their own thing, enjoying what I need. I’m jealous of them they already got what I want. They look at me as if they know I have a problem, the same addiction. I think to myself “I’m not like them I can stop anytime!” Yeah right who am I kidding, remember I’m here everyday! Ah, I see my guy, he’s always happy to see me, almost as happy as I am to see him. He says “I got something new for you, think you might like it, if not its free!”
I say, “no”
“oh you want the usual” he said
I said “Yeah that’s it”
I hand him the $10 bill.
He gives me what I’ve been craving for hours, for that long enduring drive, I go find a spot in the corner to sit all by myself, I put the substance of my addiction up to my lips and take a bit hit, I say “OOOh, its hot!” as I burn my lips and tongue.
I think to myself with a feeling a satisfaction, “there is like a nothing like a dbl-short-no whip-café mocha”

Crashing Sucks.

2008-06-24T00:12:00.004-04:00

I went out for the team ride today, Well Greg Kuhn’s ride. We were riding this section of a park with paved trails I decided to take a dirt path which I rode the other day with the SS bike. today I was on the Taurine.

I drew a picture of the trail, it started with a little hill a drop which my shock compressed on it didn’t extend and I fell into the hill. The handle bars hit me in the ribs. You can see where the red spot in the pic

The spot in the thoracic cavity that the handle bars hit is the joining point of the false ribs, false because the last 3 7th, 8th and 9th connected ribs are connected to the sternum by a single cartilage extension. Fortunately cartilage is flexible, bendable like, so it didn’t break, just hurts like hell when I turn to the left and right, laugh and breath deep.

I got lucky that the end of the bars didn’t hit my abdomen or closer to the middle and hit the xiphoid process, you know that little spot in the middle that sticks out.

Just as my shoulder starts to feel better, I hurt my ribs. I hoping it will be better sometime the next couple days.

Stoney Creek Marathon Race this Saturday.

2008-06-23T11:15:00.004-04:00

This weekend is the Stony Creek Marathon Race, my first Race of the Year, which was also my first race of the season. What better way to start the race season than to start it with a 60-mile XC race. I’m still undecided between but leaning toward racing the Pro/semi-pro 60-mile course in the geared class or the 40-mile course in the Elite Single Speed Class. Last Year I raced the Elite Single Speed, placed 2nd. Eric Tompkin got 1st. I slid out in a gravel corner the beginning of the 2nd lap, he broke away from me there which was also the beginning of a hill, then got a flat tire on the 3rd lap.

Just Learning

2008-06-21T12:38:00.005-04:00

The start of the 12-hours of Addison Oaks 2006

Mark Hendershot is on the left 351. in the black. I'm in the right in the yellow 304

it was my first endurance race, very rainny and muddy, I was just trying to learn form Mark.

he beat me by I think a lap and some time, but hey he beat me.

Endurance Walker

2008-06-21T12:24:00.004-04:00

so last night was a long busy night at the restaurant than an adventure until about 5:30am when the song birds started singing. I don't ride much on the weekend, work, walking in circles for 8hrs takes a lot out of my legs, requires alot of energy and I really don't feel much like getting on the bike for a hard one. so since I don't ride but work I try get out with the friends. but yesterday I went for about an hour spin in a local park on a few trails and paved paths, just so I refresh "my happy place" for work purposes. plus I still feel shitted on.

the shoulder doesn't like carrying trays of food.