Wednesday

Goldi's getting big...

REALLY BIG! This baby could come out at any moment. I can't tell if she's
not complaining anymore because it's actually gotten better, or if it just
sucks all the time now. Very soon now, I'm going to have diaper duty...

posted by Benjaminiac at Wednesday, August 24, 2005 4 comments  

Tuesday

USPRO Criterium


So we were in Downers Grove over the weekend for Crit Natz. It's a strange
race, I think, like 3/4 of the racers are ambivalent about it as they know
they have basically no chance to win, and the other 1/4 are these keyed up
sprinters who are peaked up and ready to fly. I'm in the majority category
there, so I just wanted to do a good job for my team.

The race schedule is strange as well, there's a Pro/Am event sat evening
which is 50k, and then the championships Sunday at 100k long. Sat.'s race
is a lot faster, A LOT sketchier, and people care even less about the
finale. I wonder how many amateurs ruin their elite national race the next
day by killing themselves to hang in with the pros and are too macho to drop
themselves and save it for when it counts. And all the pros are in a weird
headspace, everyone wants to open up, not be blocked for Sunday, but they
don't want to go too hard and be tired. There was a break of JJ Haedo, Dave
McCook and Greg Henderson early in the race, I guarantee you will never see
that combo in a normal race. And Dionne spends a couple laps off the front
solo, stranger things do occur but never with such regularity. Ivan won, I
guess that's not so strange.

Sunday was a good day for me and the team. I think we all performed as we
should, that is to say we acted as a unit and followed through on the plan.
I made the most threatening break all day, and together with Obee and John
L. took it out to 40 seconds with 10 to go. I thought we might have had a
chance to make it. I knew I was working hard and Obee looked motivated and
didn't falter on pulling, and I thought John was being cagy as usual and
would start the mind games and then the attacking and all that, but he just
rode it at 80% and never dialed it out past that as I've seen in the past.
And looking at some pics, he might have been working past 80%...

Needless to say, the games started at 5 to go instead of 2 to go and there's
no way we're going to keep a gap if we coast around. We had 28 seconds at
the time and I thought we might have kept it, but I'm not going to tow
anyone around. I put in my one attack for show, we got caught and I went
straight to the side so I could watch the finish.

Dan and Jackson looked to have good position, Glen did a good attack to keep
the pace high and burn up some of the other team's leadouts, and coming
around the last turn it was curb to curb fastmen. Farrar won in a photo
finish with McCook and Wamsley with Dan in 4th and Jackson in 7th.

posted by Benjaminiac at Tuesday, August 23, 2005 0 comments  

Thursday

A visitor



A friend of ours, Frank Blaine Robotham IV flew in to visit after simulated
dog-fighting over three states. We got to check out his plane, have a nice
dinner, catch up a bit, and see his baby pics of frank B.R. The fifth. I
thought the military base would be full of security but I guess they didn't
see the pregnant lady as much of a threat so we waltzed right onto base and
right up to the plane. I didn't realize how small they were, not much
bigger then a Cessna. I guess I'm used to looking at commercial planes.

posted by Benjaminiac at Thursday, August 18, 2005 0 comments  

Sunday

Charlotte

We've been in Charlotte all week, the land of no WiFi so updates have been
on hold. Did the BofA Criterium with 125k in prizes and we got our fair
share, which isn't much. I tried though.

This town is actually pretty cool, I think it's my favorite southern town so
far. Everyone says its the "mini ATL" but what I've seen of Atlanta has
been ho-hum and this place goes off whenever I've been here. And they put
on a great race. We've been meeting tons of cool people, seeing others we
met last year. The town is beautiful as long as you don't stray too far
south into the urban decay (all the new, huge, bland development) and once
you get out of town the roads are empty and rolling.

I'm on the plane tomorrow, I can't wait to get home. It's been a while.

posted by Benjaminiac at Sunday, August 07, 2005 0 comments  

Monday

More music

You might not be into this stuff, but I found a tight DNB blog site called
breaksblog.biz there's tight beats and a ton of backlogged MP3 downloads to wade through. Tight live sets and guest mixes, plus links to other banks of
music. Sounds like its an english site, lots of euro action and it stays
current. Check it.

posted by Benjaminiac at Monday, August 01, 2005 0 comments  

A big thanks

We've been staying with Jane Allinder in Hollidaysburg, two blocks from the
start line of the circuit race in this enormous house (9000+ sf) and having
a wonderful time. A big thanks to Jane for her hospitality and generosity,
it takes a lot to welcome 14 people into your house and keep them
comfortable. Jane's awesome and I can't wait to come back and hang out
again next year!

posted by Benjaminiac at Monday, August 01, 2005 0 comments  

Transition

'Toona is done, we finished with an attempted leadout for Dan, which fell
apart and he freelanced in for 4th. The crit was super fast but I never
left the top 20, I suffered a little but I knew those behind me had it way
worse.

Now we're going to VA to Dille's house and the damn big TV, a waypoint on
the way to Charlotte. A little ride this morning, one more time through
Blair County, then it's trailer time. As if the van is slow enough, towing
the trailer adds major time to whatever drive we have to do.

posted by Benjaminiac at Monday, August 01, 2005 0 comments