Silver Star was the route today; from Shopville. Here’s the map. http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/27626684
A Word from JT: Get Out Side!!!!!
A total of fifteen riders showed up to ride the course, and we had to fight for parking spaces as a large archery contest was going on at the Shopville School. No Bother.
The forecasted temps were for 51 or 53… something like that. When I got home from the ride, I saw that it actually got up to 63! When riding in January, it is very hard to know how to dress! It is really hard to trust the weather man! I’ve been riding outside with temps in the teens so I knew I was good with what I had on. Others were either to hot or, well… I heard no complaints of being to cold. There really is no substitute for riding outside all winter in order to gage your dress for the weather occasion.
"No Body Dropped” rides are a hard thing to manage when 60 degree days come in January. Of course, the Guns are all out… the “Front-Enders”; the Vampires (vampires only because they can’t stand any daylight between them and the cyclist leading the pack. Toby’s choice for Silver Star was perfect, and it was most enjoyable for me. I had roughly 22 miles on my computer at 14.9 mph. A great ride.
The ride stayed together (recollected) all the way to Dahl-Elrod Road. At that point, with six or seven miles to go, Barry Garrison launched an attack that nobody noticed for a few moments. I have probably raced in 500 races in my life (probably more, but I don’t have the count) but I have never seen a move pulled off so perfectly as this.
THE END GAME
By the time JT and Jack figured out that Barry was attempting to sneak off the front, he had at least 75 yards on us. Elrod Road to Dallas Grocery – behind the factories… Jack pulled me and it was all I could do to stay on his wheel. I could not pitch in to get Barry back. I have never, ever seen Jack pull that hard. In the mean time, everybody else was caught by surprise as well… Toby, Glenn, Doug. Barry’s sneak attack, and JT and Jack’s almost immediate response left all other contenders chasing in “no-mans-land”, handling 15 mph head winds. The competitors were tore apart by Barry’s attack – left alone to handle the headwind alone… Maybe he planned it that way. (I would have)
Over the miles of Barry’s Long Range Solo Attempt, Jack and JT almost got him in. But as soon as we got within just a few yards, he attacked again, and JT could not go (Barry’s renewed attack killed JT). Jack kept pushing and eventually caught him.
I am not very good at staying in “No Man’s Land” – I never saw the logic of it... If I am not in the lead pack, I will pedal medium until other pursuers come up to organize a chase. The safest, most efficient place to be is inside a collection of “wheels”; either in the lead pack or a chasing pack but never, ever in between (under force). Many times I have lost the lead group, and I just sit up to see what is coming up from behind. It is usually a good chase. But today, shattered by Barry’s brutal attack, there was no chasing group… Just individuals seeking support from what might cave in from the “Garrison” attack.
Anyway, Glenn was not far off the pace and he had been pursuing for quite a little while on his own. By the time he got to me, and I could help, so I “bridge” if he could and I waited for the next “shard” of the shattered Barry-Block. It was Kevin (KMack). Problem was, he had run 4 miles before coming to the ride .
Way up ahead, in the flats of Shopville, we could see that Jack caught Barry, and Glenn was chasing his heart out. KMack and I didn’t exactly sit up, but we relaxed a bit until Vito chased us down, Solo.
Talk about shattering a finish – Barry did just that… Only our most seasoned racer, Jack Evans could bridge up to Barry, but could not beat him in the sprint behind the factories.
With in just a few minutes, less than ten, we had everybody back to the start of what was not an easy ride. Yes, we recollected often, but in between, the pace was hot.
2011 – WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
Because I took 2010 off from racing, I am sure that I will have to relearn how to ride in the top ten wheels. I am considering taking the entire year just to do that.
More warm weather is coming – I guarantee it. They say June and July will be warmer (than today). Jack and I are going to race for sure. Kevin and Jeff Parmelee are training for a marathon. Mark Henry, Dave Zwick and Rick Rise will do Multisport Events. Adam Bourne is caught between is adventure running races and cycling.
What excites me most are our newcomers – and we have them every year. I am looking forward to, and praying that Barry Garrison will race some CAT V races this spring. As soon as we upgrade him to CAT 4, so he can race in his age bracket –he’s actually going to be really something to watch. Jack will continue to advance in his TBRA Series Standings (Jack was 11 in 2009, and 5th in 2010). Jack has found a racing home. I would love to see Toby win a few time trials… and then there is Roger – our club Freight Train… Roger will continue to compete in time trails I am sure.
I am most excited about our new comers…. Glenn Olmstead, Doug Vito, AC Donahue and Omar Meer (We are going to ignore Barry Garrison tonight! He sliced most of us from eye-ball to ass-hole with a dull dear antler today).
Cumberland Cycles Team and Club has never begun a year with so many riders who could easily do well at racing in just a few weeks training. In my humble opinion, Vito, Garrison ,Olmstead and Toby are ready now to enter CAT V racing. We will be able to upgrade you to CAT IV after just a race or two, and then you can race in your age category.
But I am most interested in AC Donahue and Omar Meer. These men are up-and-coming. They ride like horses. They are training consistently and have a great enthusiasm. The human body responds to training as the machine that God made it to be. I don’t believe in some people being more gifted than other physically to much extent. I believe that hard work, a determined spirit and an endless heart for the sport are far more important than a persons genes.
For now, AC and Omar are the most dedicated cyclists we have in our club or on our team. Both of them are working very hard, and ---- trust me… it will pay off in Spades! Wait and see. They both will be “front-enders”.
AC and Omar could get pack finishes in CAT V races in the later half of the year, if that is what they want. If that is not want they want, I hope they keep it up, so they can kick some asses on club rides!
I am not a gifted athlete. I don’t have lungs the size blimps. I don’t make muscle in order to buy custom britches. What I do is train. I train my heart out to be mediocre at best. When I see people train like Omar, AC, KMACK, Jack, Jenny, John…. On and on… there is only one outcome.
Jesus himself said, when you plant pea seeds you get peas. You all know what I mean.
I ride my bike in order to race. I apologize if I seems “out of touch” to you. I ride to race even though I have not won a race since I came back to cycling 4 year ago. I still believe. We all ride for our own reasons. My reasons are not better or more important than yours. But I am convicted in my own pursuits.
I do know this… Our dreams can become reality so long as we believe in this hard enough. Believing in something hard enough is hard. Once the conviction is done, the training is the easy part. You might want to ride 100 miles in a day… You may want to race, and upgrade… you may want to ride 2,000 miles or 5,000 miles in one year. You may want to do a specific tour. What ever it is, get convicted, then you will do it.
My dream? I am living it. I rode with AC today, Jason and Omar. They completed a challenging Cumberland Cycles Ride, as did several others. My Dream? To bring the love of cycling, in the form of the individual choosing to who ever is willing to dedicate themselves to it. Yes, I want to race and place well. But honestly, that is not as important to me as this club ad this team.
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