8/31/2013

I’m paraphrasing here but as I recall the saying goes something along these lines… “If you have a few good friends you are among the lucky. But if you have one great friend, you are truly blessed”  I know that just with the folks that ride for Dynamic, I am a lucky man, but If you consider the friendship from my long time companion, Sir Brady Winchester the Third, I was truly blessed. 

Many good friends, but the Springer int he middle was my BEST Friend
{L to R: Molly (Uncle Glenn's), Maggie (Dad's), Brady (mine), Decker (Sister Heidi's), and Angus (sister Amy's)}

 In 1998, he was the best Christmas Present I’d ever gotten.  From day one, there was an instant connection between the two of us. A bond between a boy and his dog is about as special as it gets.  Where he went, I went. We were virtually inseparable.  I distinctly remember the first trip I ever took with him.  When I got him for Christmas, I was 3 hours from home and when the weekend was over, the two of us loaded up in my little S-10 took off down the road for home. He rode on the front seat in a laundry basket. Yes, I said a laundry basket. Somehow, the breeder from the kennel figured out that “Corky” as he was known to her, enjoyed sleeping  on a towel in laundry basket.  If it made him feel comfortable, then who am I to judge.  But after a while I had to use the restroom, and as much as I didn’t want to stop , Mother Nature dictated that it was time to answer the call. I pulled into the parking lot and gave Brady a few minutes to do his investigation and conduct his own business, then I scooped him up and put him in my truck. I grabbed him by the nose, looked deep into his eyes and made a solemn pact with him. I promised that if he didn’t destroy my toy (my S-10), I wouldn’t destroy any of his.  I could tell from the look in his eyes that he knew what I meant and that I’d be able to count on him to live up to his end of the  bargain.  And in the 14 years I had him, to my knowledge he never messed with  anything in my vehicles.  He did get sick and threw up one time, but he jumped in the back and did so in an old baseball hat, which was easily disposed of at the next rest area.

Proving that Cannondale makes the most comfortable frames in the world...
Brady making sure nothing BAD ever happened to any of my toys while they were under his supervision

Every dog has a favorite toy, and Brady’s was a conosouier of tennis balls. That boy LOVED chasing tennis balls. I had to buy a tennis ball slingshot to launch them far enough into the field behind the house to make the game fun for me. Otherwise, he would return way too soon with the ball to repeat the process, if I merely through the ball as far as I could.  He would play for hours if I let him.  He could be worn out and sound asleep from the various outdoor activities we would take on and all I would have to do is whisper the words “Where’syour ball buddy” and he would be awake and headed to the last known location of his current favorite specimen.  Even if there wasn’t a ball around, just saying that would cause him to go in to hunter mode and he would work the surrounding cover for hours until he could be convinced that it was time to do something more productive, like eat.  And it always tickled me how we could go to any random park where the nearest tennis courts were miles away and somehow he would always manage to find a tennis ball in the weeds. And of course, once he found the tennis ball that had been left behind by another, less saavy and adept canine, we would have to test out its worthiness.  He never had a tennis ball that he didn’t love.

 

Tennis Balls and Snow were two of his favorite things in the world

And he was of course a swimmer. It took me several weeks of playing along the banks of various ponds, lakes, and streams before he could be persuaded to swim rather than splash, but once he realized he could float, it was darn near impossible to keep him dry when there was a body of water around.   I remember one trout season, I took him to the lake at Little Beaver State Park in southern West Virginia to do some ”fishing”.  It was a “work day” but I had decided to play hooky from work and go putz around and do some fishing, hiking and let Sir Muttly swim.  There was an old man fishing at the spot I really was hoping to wet the line at, so I respectfully moved down the bank about 75 to 100 yards and set up. From experience, I knew that my fishing was going to be more about keeping the dog occupied than it was really about fishing. When I would cast my line, He would watch where it hit the water and would try to go swim after it. I would have to distract him by throwing rocks in the water in a different direction or he would find my bobber and drag it to shore  for me.  And that’s how the morning went. I’d cast…  distract the dog… with a rock… check my line… and repeat the process.  After several hours, the old man moved down in my direction and started complaining about the fishing. My jaw hit the floor when the D-Bag started blaming his misfortunes on Brady’s water activities.  After he’d run his mouth for a few minutes, I told him he should probably rethink his fishing strategy and pulled my stringer of 4 rainbows and a golden trout. As he was running his mouth (and brady was still swimming) I watched my bobber bob and weave and I thanked him for his input, filled my stringer and left him standing there.

 

Relaxing after a good swim

So last year, I took Brady to the Appalachia Visited Race in Rowelsburg, WV. I didn’t usually get to take him to races because I always felt awkward about leaving him tied up while I was off riding. But that was the first race that Id be taking Amber to, and she had volunteered to look after him while I was off on my adventure. After the race, the river was looking inviting, so I grabbed my towel and took a dip to cool off and remove the sweat.  Brady followed me down and  started to wade out with me to see what I was up to.  The river was low, I think I could have crossed the whole thing without ever getting any part of my thighs wet, and I looked back and my faithful friend  was sitting on a rock at the edge, afraid to get in.  I walked back coaxed him in a little and that’s when it dawned  on me that he no longer had the strength to battle the currents.  I knew he was getting old, but until that moment, I didn’t realize just how old he really was.  That was the last time he ever swam. 

A few months later, I had to have him put down as the simple act of walking had become too much of a burden on him.  Naturally, it was the single hardest thing I’d ever done in my life. I won’t share THAT story because just thinking about how long and how hard he fought to remain in this world  with me brings me to tears.  We were inseparable, and he was trying his hardest to keep it that way.  Finally he took his last breath and he was at peace and I was left behind wondering why I had to do it. But I knew it was the right thing to do for him, and I think he is up in doggy heaven right now , looking down on me, waiting for me to come join him to throw a ball for him again..  And this past weekend, I went back to Rowelsburg and dumped his ashes in the river so that he could finally conquer the river that beat him the year before.  Im still miss you little buddy, but I know we will be reunited one day. Until then, “where’s your ball buddy?”… that ought to keep him busy until I get there.

My WV List: #4 Coopers

Phew.  My life has been a whirlwind the past weeks.  We're now finally moved into our new home in Wayland, MA.

And it's making me realize even more sharply what I miss about WV.

I stopped into the local bike shop here the other day, and asked what the options are for mountain biking around here.

And I visited one of the options.  It was OK.

Skiing at coopers can be very good,
I ski both the trails and the road

But it was no coopers (Coopers Rock State Forest).

And, the thing is, cooper isn't just for mountain biking.  I used to love to run there.  It was my favorite place to run in Morgantown.

And I skied there a lot as well.

Nothing like seeing snow on the rhododendron.

It's not that cycling here is bad.  Quite the opposite, I'm having a lot of fun.

However, it's always a bit disappointing when you're flowing along a trail, and then BOOM, you pop out in a residential neighborhood.

I much more enjoyed popping out of a flowing trail at an overlook of the Cheat River, or a field of wild flowers.

Now, I will have to drive an hour to get that.  Not 15 minutes.

And that sucks.

CrossRoads of August

My August has been centered around the Giordana Crossroads Classic for the last 3 race seasons. Although this is not my priority event, I'm always excited about the opportunity to race a 6-day stage race. It has 4 criterium races on different technical courses, 1 road race and a circuit race. It's the 1 or 2 times per season we professional amateur bike racers get a taste of what the Pros endure when racing all out for days on end.

Due to the cancellation of the ABRA criterium in Ligonier this year I was able to rearrange my schedule to accommodate racing  3 of the 6 days in North Carolina. I loaded up with teammate, and injured domestic, EJ Hubstenburger as my soigneur! These are my stories...

Day 1-Friday Night Lights in Statesville began without hesitation and full gas.

The L-shaped course had wide streets and allowed for full speed through all turns. It was the hardest criterium of the season and resulted in my highest power number of the year. I suffered more than ever throughout the race but made my attempt for escape with 3 laps to go. My attack was short lived as the group was in full case mode.The peloton began to pass  me after 1 lap on my own  and I managed to slip back into the lead out train in about 8th position. I felt I still had the legs for one more big effort. I thought this was going to be my win. We took the first 2 corners in a strung out line at full speed and I felt ready to launch. We headed into turn 3 and riders began to surge on the inside and outside. Turn 4 the rider in front of me rode wide and hit the curb nearly taking out half the field. I slipped from a top 10 position to the rear of the bunch in the blink of an eye. My result was barely a top 20.

Day 2 - The road race was a usual  series of attacks. I started off early in the first 3km with my first attempt. I was quickly joined by 3 other riders and managed to create a 45 sec gap on the field. We were gaining seconds but the other riders were holding back their efforts. I knew they were not committed to suffering to the finish line so I eased my efforts as well. The group eventually gave chase to our break and we were caught somewhere around 12km. Our attack was followed by several other attacks that were quickly shut down.

It was obvious with about 10km to go that it was going to be a field sprint. I didn't mind this much as I fancy myself a better road race sprint finisher than a crit sprinter and my legs felt great. With about 3 km to go everyone was jockeying for position. We were riding so tightly that changing position was nearly impossible. I was nervous because I was sitting mid pack and couldn't advance. I was, however, road left so I knew that when the sprint lane opened in the last 200 meters I would have a clear line to the finish.

The final turn of the course is at about 2km from the finish. I seized an opportunity to use some off road skills and cut the inside corner over the curb through  grass and managed to move into the top 15 while managing to keep position on left side of the road. The group was nervous going into the final 1km and I was no exception. There was a lot of rubbing tires and leaning into each other to hold position. The lead out began at 400m and we took off full gas. At 200m I pulled into the open sprint lane and started my charge for the line. I gave everything I had in the tank but I couldn't overpower the headwinds. I held on for 10th position. I had not counted on that wind being so strong. It was a great finish!

Day 3- The City Parks Circuit Race was hot and the stair-step climb over the Start/ Finish didn't make the race easy.

I suffered and from the looks on the other riders faces I knew they were suffering too. I started my attacks. My first attack was on the flat/bottom section of the course. I was quickly reeled in by the anxious group of Cat 3 riders. I allowed the group to push the pace again and took some time to recover. When I saw the group slow on the hill, several laps later, I attacked again. This time I was joined by 3 other riders. We managed to stay away for a lap and were caught by the main field. I was really hot and I was tired but decided to give a last attempt to escape the main field. My attack was immediately shut down and a counter attack was on the move. I had no legs to chase and the main group didn't have interest in chasing. Several riders stayed off the front so I figured I would rest and sprint for 4th or 5th place.

The final lap started very fast on a downhill into a 90 degree left turn. We were all single file until turn 3 when the lead out train eased the pace which allowed riders from the back to dive bomb into the turn. The group was 5 wide going into turn 4 and onto the bottom of the climb. Everyone started their sprint with a 400m to go surge. I was in mid pack and thought this to be ideal as riders would fade and I could give the final push with 150m to go. The group fanned out at about 300m and blanketed the road. I had no space to power through. I re-positioned my line and tried again to find a hole in the wall to sprint through but I could not. Game Over. My hope of a sprint win was over but I had the greatest time trying.

And that's what keeps me coming back time and time again. I have been blessed to ride this season with a great group of people. We have been blessed with a great group of team supporting sponsors. Thank you for all that you have done for us this year. We cannot compete without you!!

Gravel Grinding in Preston County

Start of a morning ride

Gravel grinding, dirt road riding...call it what you want.  But, the popularity of riding on dirt, gravel, and low maintenance roads has been growing over the past few years with the help of ultracross events such as ABRA and JR Petsko's Hilly Billy Roubaix.  Grinding up steep climbs, navigating steep descents of loose gravel, and occasionally plunging through deep ATV-developed swamp holes for 50+ miles has given riders from road cycling and mountain biking backgrounds, and of all ages and abilities, a new avenue to test their mettle.  

Sure there are risks involved--crashing in loose gravel at high speeds tops the list and going through a lot of pinch-flatted tubes.  But, the benefits that outweigh the risks become very apparent after a few dirt road rides--very minimal if not any automobile traffic, less angry-motorist harrassment, the lack of exhaust/pollution, the adventure of exploring rural and scenic areas that can't always be seen and appreciated from a road bike (side note: this could also be considered a risk in some areas), and no fancy high-end road specific machines are required.  Mountain bikes (hard tail, full suspension, fully rigid and single speed), cyclocross bikes, fat bikes, touring bikes, and "endurance road" bikes, such as the Cannondale Synapse, are fully capable of tackling the terrain involved in a good ole' WV dirt road ride.  

JR has introduced most of us to the dirt road riding Monongalia County, WV has to offer.  Until recently, with the winding down of the ABRA road racing and mountain biking series, I have begun to explore the dirt-road riding potential that awaits in Preston County, WV.  I don't live on a smooth road. In fact, I have 600ft of gravel driveway and a 1.5 mile multi-level-pot-hole-patched road just to reach smooth asphalt.  Therefore, my road bike does not see nearly as much riding as it had before I moved to Preston Co...at least not without a beater set of wheels and some wide, puncture-resistant tires.   Quite possibly the best bike I have purchase thus far has been my Cannondale cyclocross bike, with 700x42 Kenda Happy Medium tires (aids in cornering control, softening the ride, and reducing pinch-flat risks, and a set of mini-V brakes (for added control and stopping power) from the fine folks at PathfinderWV in Morgantown.

a great means of exercise in the winter
slower speeds = less wind chill

Honey Stinger Waffles...
The go-to fuel for all rides...
Yummy

While Preston Co. is a relatively large county at 651 square miles, I have only explored a fraction of the 'undeveloped' county roads in the northern aspect of the county from Bruceton Mills south to Albright, and east to Hazelton (and at an average of 53 people and 23 homes per square mile, relatively traffic free).  But, I have been able to link many of the mostly dirt/gravel county roads with the help of Preston Co. native-cycling-legend and teammate Derek Clarke as a guide, and a GPS smartphone app.   Most of these rides hit the dirt/gravel within a half mile of the house and can lead me to locally popular areas such as Wonder Falls on and Sovereign Falls near the Big Sandy River,  Blue Hole on the Cheat River, Cooper's Rock State Forest, Lake of the Woods, and Big Bear Lake.  While many of these areas offer scenic views all to their own, the 'undeveloped' county roads have seemed to invite my rides to scenic waterfalls that only serious white-water kayakers and ridge top views that only the local residents of the roads will usually experience.

Rockville Bridge over the Big Sandy River

Apparently deaf animals are dangerous in Preston Co.

Summer kayaking

Sovereign Falls 

ridgetop views from Pisgah

Winter kayaking...brrr
Makes winter riding seem much less crazy.

Sunset near the finish of a ride.
Reminder of why it's called Almost Heaven WV

Now, excuse me while I try to quickly get the cross bike cleaned up before it gets too dark.....

                                       .... Thanks ProGold for allowing the speedy clean and lube of the cross bike.

A Year in Reflection (aka Going in Circles and Making Left Turns)

As I sat down to write this blog, I thought to myself, what a great year I have had with my teammates on the Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team Powered by Pathfinder. I cannot recall a year of racing that I have had more fun on and off the bike with any team I have been on previously. I digress. Well the team had a great year road racing together and it was all capped off the other night as the last race of the ACA weekly training races at the Bud Harris cycling oval took place. The team had Devin Corboy in second place overall in the individual points standing and also Shawn Geiger in fourth place. In addition, DPT was in first place overall in the team competition, but on by 10 points over NuGo/Koeles. With these things in mind, plan for the race was simple, no one from NuGo/Koeles would go away and Devin, Shawn, and myself all needed to score points to secure the team category win and also to keep Devin and Shawn in their overall individual top spots. Even though the NuGo/Koeles team outnumbered DPT with riders this night, numbers cannot make up for the experience and determination that our team possesses. No matter how many times the NuGo/Koeles team attempted to make a move and break away, the DPT team covered their attacks and them shut down. As we were racing and I was suffering, one thought kept running through my mind ‘what would Jens do?’ Well to be honest, that and my guilty pleasure song ‘Umm Bop’ by Hanson. Yeah you know you love that song, but just won’t admit it. It’s cool; I’ll be the voice to say what we all know you are thinking (Best song ever). Going into the last lap, a few riders slipped off the front and were trying to steal the victory, but to no avail. They all cracked and we all sped past them in full sprint mode. The train was set up for DPT, being led by Devin, then myself, and then Shawn. As the sprint unfolded, Devin wound up in third place, I took fourth place, and Shawn was in sixth place. These placing secured the overall team championship for DPT as well as the second place individual overall for Devin and the fourth place individual overall for Shawn. Well, for me at least, my 2013 racing season has come to an end and now it’s time for me to drink some beers and cheer on my teammates during cross season. I NEED MORE COWBELL……… Also a big thank you to all our sponsors, for without your support, none of this would be possible... Mylan Pharmaceuticals Kenda Tires Sketches by Anne Cannondale Performance Coaching Services Simply Saab Honey Stinger Red Rose Imports Nalini Custom Pro Gold Lubricants Morgantown Brewing Company

Time Trialing in Charles Town

For this Memorial Day weekend, I went to (and am currently still in) Charles Town, WV.  Riding in Charlestown is very different from riding in Morgantown.  The most notable difference is the condition of the pavement.  In 10 miles of TTing, and 45 miles of road riding today, I encountered just one blemish in the nearly perfect pavement.  The is also much less topography than I'm used to, though that's not necessarily a bad thing...

Out of the relatively small field in the Argyle Time Trial, I managed a 2nd place, most likely attributed the Mountain Dew Slurpee I drank during the race, and the pre race Stinger Waffle I indulged in.

I'm the guy in 2nd.

I raced the TT in Matt's much-too-large-for-me non-aero helmet, after forgetting my legit Cannondale Cypher helmet at home, it only fell over my eyes about a hundred times, not helping my aeroness was the fact that my aero-bars wouldn't clip onto my rather ovalized handlebars, so I raced in my phantom aerobars.  After the race, I stopped at a local shop, 3-Points Cycles, and bought a new helmet for me to use for the weekend.

Selfie in my temporary helmet.

On the way back from the shop, Matt and I walked through a car show that took up the entirety of downtown Charles Town.

Me and a DeLorean

After hanging at the car show, we road to Martinsville.

Mine and Matt's bikes in front of 10 C-5's

And that's it so far.  Bye for now.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Well here are some pictures to say thank you to my wife and daughter, my Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling Team powered by Pathfinder teammates family, and to all of our wonderful sponsors.

Thank you Arryn for supporting me in my passion to ride bikes and coming to my races.

 

Thank you Addie for enjoying the great sport of cycling with me.

 

 

Thank you to all of my 2013 teammates who have made this season so much fun. 

 

 

Thank you Dynamic Physical Therapy for making this team possible.

 

 

Thank you Morgantown Brewing Company for your sponsorship and hosting us during our team events.  Sorry for the times we get a little out of hand.

 

 

Thank you Pathfinder of WV for standing behind our team and keeping our bikes running smooth.

 

 

Thank you Bruce for providing us with your lineup of ProGold Lubricants.  Your products truly are the best in the business.

 

 

And thank you so much to the rest of our sponsors for supporting our team in 2013:

Mylan Pharmaceuticals

Kenda Tires

Sketches by Anne

Cannondale

Performance Coaching Services

Simply Saab

Honey Stinger

Red Rose Imports

Nalini Custom