'Tis the Season...

...of a skier/cyclist's discontent.  I'm staring out the nose-imprinted windows of my classroom at a partly cloudy sky and a very mild-looking block of warmth.  It's nearly 70 outside and it's the end of October in the mountains of Vermont.  Just three days ago there was enough frost on the roads to make biking down the gaps a deadly endeavor.  It's these flip-flop weather patterns that drive me nuts this time of year, almost more so than a January thaw or a July cold snap.  One moment the weather taunts my yearning to wear my ski boots around the house in an effort to stave off early season shin bang.  I've even brought my skis in for a stone grind the second weekend of October (very early for me).  The next moment, however, I'm shedding the leg warmers, removing the fleece cap from beneath my helmet, and considering only wearing a jersey with arm warmers and maybe a vest.  Mother Nature is continuously trying to convince me to practice polygamy:

Appalachian Gap'd at the Allen Clark Memorial Hill Climb

24:27.  32 seconds faster than the previous Allen Clark Hill Climb record set by Stefan Bumbeck in god knows when.  Unofficial records seem to indicate the the record stood for 12 years.  Do the math.  Okay, I'll do it for you.  1998!  I was a freshman in college in the fall of 1998.  Wow!  Back in the fall of Elliott Smith's XO, which played on repeat in my 1992 model JVC stack stereo my dad purchased for me for my birthday in 1992, when I was in seventh grade.  Man, that stereo sounded so great.  Thanks, dad.  Anyway...

Thank You, Steven Slater, For Your Inspiration To Update My Blog And For Having A Great Character Name For A 1980's Movie

I have no excuses for not posting for 20 days.  Except that I had a final interview with the school board at the Ripton Elementary School for the grades 5/6 teacher, I got the job, I've had issues with my endorsement areas and therefore my qualifications as a teacher of all subjects, I've gotten the go-ahead with the contract signing and paperwork, I've gotten a key to the school and I've brought my dogs into the classroom as of today to help make me feel at home.

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