Jon Boy and I at Sand Dunes, Colorado
Hello Crew,
That's a Big Hello! I am home now - back in Somerset after having been gone almost four weeks, and in Colorado three of those weeks. I have been home a couple of days. I have had to think and decompress and I have had time to get my thoughts organized.
My trip to Colorado was challenging. Odd to think of a "vacation" in those terms, but there really is no other way to put it. I think that it is fairly common knowledge that I am having some difficulty with my Son, Jon Boy. He is now, and always has been a fantastic person, but in the past year, he's made some decisions that really are quite "16 yearoldish". We've been a little worried about him, and he came to Colorado Springs for a weeklong visit. Deb and I knew that visit would be difficult, and it was challenging. But Jon Boy's mother and I had found a great wilderness program for him to attend this summer, and at the end of his week with Deb and I in Colorado Springs, I drove him to Salt Lake City, Utah, and set him off on his summer, hiking in the High Uinta and Wasatch Mountain Ranges. (He as been there two weeks now and the reports from the organization is that he is doing wonderfully!) Driving Jon Boy 600 miles west of Colorado Springs and leaving him there in the wilderness was one of the hardest things I think I've ever had to do, so that took its toll on me.
Our visit with Deb; while it had its difficulties, we also had a wonderful time. It seemed to me as if he (Jon Boy) and I bonded a little bit while there.... We did manage to get to ride bikes together, and while he generally doesn't like anything I like (typical teenage detachment) he rode up some of those hills in terrific form!!! Very strong kid. We also got to drive to the top of Pikes Peak, elevation, 14,121 feet above sea level. I am hopeful that my Son is well and safe and that he may, indeed, be right in the mists of the most meaningful summer of his life. If you Pray, pray for my son. Thanks.
Otherwise, my trip to Colorado Springs was still challenging. I came down with a terrible head a chest cold and was unable to train for 8 days. When I finally came out of that mess, I crashed on a mountain bike ride with Deb's Son (Wyatt) and put the butt end of a handle bar into my upper chest. With the sickness and injury, I was still able to ride nearly 400 miles in those three weeks, and all of that was at elevations greater than 6,500. Deb and I were able to ride with some very strong riders as well. So even though I was not able to train as much as I had wanted or needed, at least I averaged more than 100 miles each week while I was there.... and they were all very high quality miles.
National Championships
When I first started back in cycling fifteen months ago, my goal was to qualify for and become competitive in the Masters National Championships. Surprisingly, it did not take that long. By my second racing year, I found myself qualified, and competitive at the national level. So, even though I am registered for Nationals in only my second racing season, due to some major life, sickness and injury setbacks, I am looking at going to National Championships in a somewhat compromised condition. In part of my thinking, maybe I should just cancel my attempts at these races. Nobody would think the worst with what I have gone through in the past month. But then another part of me thinks - just go ahead and go, and do your best. I am still unsure what to do. I know, before I got sick and injured, I felt good about my prospects at placing high in the National Championships. I am not sure if there is any way for me to replace these days and weeks I would have used for critical conditioning training... So if I go, I will go on cold legs, depleted lungs and hope for the best. And there is always next year.
The Team
In terms of my idea's for our club and team, well, 15 months ago, it was me and Harvey - Now, we have several athletes who are ranked very high in the national standings on the road. Adam Bourne, Jack Evans, Aaron Denney, Jenny Denney, Roger Whitlock, Jay Garman, Charles Senters - all of these riders have high placings on the state and national level on the road. And then we have our multisport riders.... Mark Henry, Nick Cabrini, Jeff Parmelee, Rick Rice, DR Swanner, Dave Stewart, Dave Zwick and others. And we have an incredible mountain bike community populated by more great folks than I can even name.
The Club
Everything has exceeded my expectations.... Our club officers, Brad Herrman, Charles Senters and Jack Evans have done some really out standing work this year with the club and team in our first official year. We conducted an extremely competitive spring series race which brought national champion and Olympic caliper level riders. We've raised a good deal of money from community businesses to support our athletes in their racing endeavors.... and we've acquired a really great looking team uniform. So far this year, we have put 349 riders in 69 separate points bearing events. Our crew has won some important races and we have several individuals who are ranked either #1 in the State or even #1 in the Nation in their racing categories for specific events. We have two riders who are going to bare the Cumberland Cycles Uniform at National Championships this year... Jack Evans and Jonathon Thompson. As a crew, we have been noticed as a force to contend with in our region all spring..... We are most certainly on the cycling map!
Our Title Sponsor - Cumberland Cycles
Where ever I go now, racing or riding, our riders have done well enough to be recognized. Cumberland Cycles and Skate Shop. The Cycling Community in our multi-state region know who we are. I am now, and always have been very proud to wear the yellow and black colors of our shop and club and team. We would not be here doing what we are doing without Marc Travis and Cumberland Cycles Bike and Skate Shop. We all live in or near Somerset, Kentucky. The bike shop in our town is Cumberland Cycles and it has been here for nearly 30 years. Support our team and our club.... Support our bike shop. Marc is on the "level" and he knows how to put riders on the road to be competitive at the national level.
Our General Sponsors
It is truly unbelievable how much support we've gotten from our community. Jack Evans and Jonathon Thompson are going to begin Masters Cycling National Championships in twenty days from today. They will proudly carry the logo's of all of our sponsors in that race series. The UPS Store (DR Swanner), Southern Belle Dairy, Sinking Valley Winery, Evans-Harville-Atwell&Company, CPAs, Personal Finance Company, Walter Thompson/Wallyworld, Southern Kentucky Eye Center/Dr. Mark Henry, The Total Rehab Center/ Jeff Parmelee, LifeScan Imaging, Joe L. Travis-Mediation Services, and Cumberland Cycles Bike and Skate Shop.
This team and club and these sponsors will produce a National Champion one day. I am certain of it.
RACING AND RIDING
Roger Whitlock and Jack Evans are competing this weekend in Stanton, Kentucky at the Red River Gorge Omnium race. Edgar Soto is also occurring this weekend, but I do not believe we have anybody competing in that series. Next weekend we have Avery Traceand the Cookville Crit. There are many races throughout the summer and fall, but the notable big ones are these:
Masters National Championships - June 29 - July 6
Alanti Stage Race - Late July - Nashville - see schdl
BMW - Mid August - Chattanooga - see schdl
Tour De London - London, ky - September - Ky State road and crit champs.
Please come out and ride with us on Tuesday and Thursdays at 6, 630 or 7 on any one of our club or team rides. Also join our club message board for mtb rides and area trail development politics.
Introducing Wyatt Geibig
Wyatt is 11 years old and he is the son of Deb Fortenberry (my girlfriend). Wyatt races for a team call "The Front Rangers". This is mainly a mountain biking team, but also a track team based out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Wyatt will be racing mainly for his team, The Front Rangers, but he will also be "guest racing" for our club and team, Cumberland Cycles. Wyatt is of the age, mentality and ability that nothing - absolutely nothing could stop him from reaching the stars. In his first race, last Wednesday, he placed 3rd, edging out many other and more experienced and older riders. (Chris Carmichael himself and many of the CTS riders participated in separate categories of the same race)
Community
Look for us to put on a 30 to 50 miles tour for all cycling people in our community in July sometime - Somerset and Pulaski County, Kentucky is a cycling community. (with gasoline at 4$/gallon - we all need to start pedaling more! - might as well produce a National Champion while we are saving money)
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