Just one of those weekends...

Here I'm radioing to the laws of physics: "Please make this pain stop!"

 

Six days after my first ascent up Mount Washington on a bicycle, which resulted in a second place finish, I took the biggest beating of my hill climbing career on Mount Ascutney.  Being the BUMPS point series overall leader, I received a super neat polka-dot jersey before the race start.  Much to my chagrin, I did not do my new tunic victorious justice.  In cycling, there's a myth of the curse of the World Champion.  The person who wins the World Championships, either in the road race or time trial disciplines, has a horrendous season the following year.  Perhaps there is a curse of the BUMPS polka-dot jersey?  I doubt it.  Besides, I think the jersey's pretty cool and would be really disappointed if I was defrocked of my lordship of the hill climbs.

2nd at Newton's Revenge (the first climb of the summer up Mount Washington)!

I will post more soon, but I'll have you know that I finished in second place today at the Mount Washington Hill Climb called Newton's Revenge.  Garmin-Transitions Tom Danielson won, and, let's face it, kicked my butt.  He missed beating his record time set in 2002 of 49:24 by nine seconds!  And, he raced it on his training bike, with training wheels, a powermeter, and a 39t chainring.  Crazy.  Anyway, after today's success, I should have a sizable lead in the BUMPS hill climb series, since my competition finished well off the pace in 10th.  Pics and a complete story soon.  Promise.

Weighted down by bronze

Okay, okay, I'll start out with the prerequisite "it's been way too long since I've last updated the blog."  It's been way too long since I've last updated the blog.  Since we last spoke, I've raced two hill climbs, Whiteface and Okemo, New York and Vermont.  While I wish I could report better news, I'm afraid I've got some lackluster results to share.  I got third place overall in both races, second in my age group at Whiteface, first at Okemo.

Game On.

And so it begins...

Saturday, June 19, 5:30pm Whiteface Hill Climb

Three days 'til the season kicks off...

...and I've got a cold.  Yeah!  I attended a middle school graduation on Tuesday and woke up with a headache and a really snotty nose.  The timing couldn't be worse with the Whiteface Hill Climb just days away on what is supposed to be a beautiful and hot June day in upstate New York.  I had always planned on recon riding the course but I never could make it over to Wilmington.

Green Mountain Bike Club Crit

I can't sprint.  In fact, your chances would be pretty good to bet on a gerbil on a wheel sprinting faster than me.  I work on sprinting sometimes.  I go out, try to look composed as I "power" my bike faster and faster along the road's shoulder.  I must look ridiculous for so much body motion and effort, for me, only leads to a top ground speed of maybe 31mph if the wind is right.  Whew!  I'm winded just thinking about it.  Sprinting.  Yuck.

A couple of quickies

First off, a HUGE congratulations to Mr. Ted King for finishing his second Giro d'Italia!  No, not some hackneyed, American, junior, amateur version of a giro.  No, I'm talking about the real deal, the big dance, er, il grande ballo.  Way to go, Ted!  I remember when I could stay in front of you in collegiate mountain bike races...for 24 seconds.  For those of you who don't know, Ted is a New England native, a Middlebury College alum, and a great reciter of lines from the movie Dumb and Dumber.  He's an all around great guy.