new seasons

Well I'm officially terrible at updating. Let's see...

Track season ended with, well, not so much a bang, but it did hurt. Turns out that 23 days in the woods destroys what little track sprinting ability you may have. Needless to say, I lost my last match sprint of the season by no less than 3 inches.

So what now?

Cyclocross, obviously. Last weekend I hit up Bedford for my first cross experience. I'm quite late on the race report. Its best summed up as I line up in the second row, and notice that the guy directly in front of me is in his granny gear. It only got more interesting from there, as the entire field piled up in the first 180 degree turn, leaving me in last place out of the start. I scraped my way through the rest of the race and managed to pull off a reasonable enough mid pack finish.

So what does a mid-pack finish in a C race mean? Do a B race, obviously. Yeah, somehow I signed myself up, fully conscious, for the men's 3/4 race up at Amesbury tomorrow. The goal of tomorrow is to not get lapped.

In other news, my wrist is still potentially broken from my mishap on the Long Trail, which obviously means that I have not seen a physician. Why would I do that?

Out of the woods

Actually for a week now. Last Saturday, on my 24th birthday no less, Sarah and I found ourselves standing at the Canadian at the northern terminus of the Long Trail. After 23 days of roots, rocks, mud, and trail magic we had completed our 273 mile journey. Even a week later its difficult to find much to say about the trip, knowing that it takes someone who has done a thru hike to understand a thru hike. I know that getting into this I had no idea what it would be like. I'll get some pictures up soon - and tell a story or two when the time is right (read: when I'm less lazy).

A walk in the woods

I thought I would have had more time in the past weeks to write about the prep for the long trail, but I didn't.

We leave in the morning.

I think we're ready - the bags are packed to the brim with probably too much food, and not enough of something that I'll know what it is in a few more days. My pack is heavy - lightweight gear doesn't make up for 20 pounds of food.

Well, 270 miles to go. Wish us luck.

I am a speed demon....allegedly

I just got off the phone with my lawyer and it turns out that Hanover Insurance is continuing to claim that I was operating my bicycle in a negligent manner when I was cut off by their insured.

The newest argument, which is one that I'm particularly fond of, is an assertion that I was traveling at an unsafe speed. Initially I was denied for passing on the right. When I pointed out the explicit language in the Massachusetts General Laws that allows just that, the story was changed to the tune of "the cars were stopped, so passing on the right is still illegal."

Their new tune is that I'm an incredible cyclist, who despite limited bike time at that point, is able to exceed the legal speed limit of 35 mph on the road where the accident occurred.

In 1984 Greg Lemond's record breaking average speed in the final time trial of the Tour de France was an eye-watering 54 kmph. That translates roughly to 33.5 mph - at least 1.5 mph slower than my alleged speed. Move over Levi, Jordan's coming to pass you on the shoulder.

Tour wrap up

As I sat on my bed last night and watched the cycling's greatest riders make one final push down the cobbles of the champs elysees, I couldn't help but wonder why it is that we've chosen to become to so hard on dopers in the recent years. People rhetorically ask "what has happened to cycling?" or "will cycling ever be clean?" Perhaps a better question is, "has it ever been clean?"

In the early days of the tour riders consumed alcohol and even ether to dull the pain of the then nearly 400 kilometer stages that kept competitors riding well into the night. A recent article in the Times quotes Fausto Coppi, the Italian who rode to yellow in 1949 and 1952, on his response to being asked if he had ever used amphetamines in the tour:

“Only when necessary,” he said.

How often was that?

“Most of the time,” Coppi replied.



There is the infamous Tom Simpson, who in 1967 collapsed dead on Mount Venoux from a combination of amphetamines and alcohol. He had amphetamines in his jersey. Doping control promptly began the next year.

To think that the tour will ever be clean is to deny a characteristic that has been with it from the beginning. I don't take it personally, drugs or not I'll never be there. And I'll still lose 3 hours a day in July religiously watching.

NH Amateur State Games Race Report

On Wednesday I was finally able to get back up to the track and compete in the New Hampshire Amateur state games - which was essentially the same as every other night at the track, with the exception of a higher race fee and medals.

The night started off with the Kilo - a one kilometer race against the clock. I had already announced to my fellow Cambridge Bicycle teammates before I left the shop that I was coming home with a medal in the kilo, so I knew I had to throw down. Needless to say I was not nearly warmed up enough when events got under way. I elected to go early in the race to give me time to recover before the other events. You start the Kilo fully clipped in with someone holding your bike - which can be a little nerve wracking when they neglect to hold you straight. I got off to a decent start but swung too wide on turns 1 and 2 in the first lap. The banking is minimal on this track, only 14 degrees, so you have to really keep on your inside bar to stay in the pole. I held it together for a 1:24 finish - I had hoped to be under 1:20 - but it was good enough for a silver medal in the C race.

In the points race we did what we could to utilize some team tactics, however much of the race was spent avoiding the erratic moves of some newbies. I wasn't able to pull much together so I worked as a rabbit for Aaron and Erik. Erik ended up in silver.

The Olympic Sprint ( a three man race, raced in a paceline with 1 man pulling off each lap, time is taken as the anchor man crosses the line). I elected to ride second behind Aaron and in front of Erik. We had a smooth start, and were right up together until turn 4 on the first lap when I heard the smack of metal on pavement and expletives behind me. Turns out Erik had a pedal strike on his new IF. Luckily he stayed up, but had dropped out of my draft. I had no idea and continued to ride furiously. Somehow Erik pulled it together and we took Gold.

Last was the Match Sprint. Four guys start at the line, foot down, and there's 2 laps to go from the line - anything goes. I never thought this would be my event - I'm not exactly of the track sprinter build and on top of that I'm down about 12 pounds off of my winter weight-lifting weight (huge). Race starts fast, I've yet to be in a match sprint that utilizes a track stand, but given that there's 4 people to contend with its not the best strategy choice. As we come around to the bell lap I'm sitting in 2nd, and I decide to make a move. I come around to the front and drop all I've got, as I crest turn 4 I'm peddling far to fast to look back so i just hold it through the line, keeping about 2 bike lengths on second place. I was pretty impressed with myself, and ready to vomit, then I realized I had to go to the finals. So what do I do? Exact same thing - only this time, no one goes with me, thinking I can't hold the break twice, and I cruise into Gold. Except by cruise into gold I mean my heart rate hit 212.

Paint on Solar Cells

Its time for my first eco related post. Though I haven't offered a purpose for this blog yet, this sort of thing fits right in.

I have to hand it to New Jersey on this one - Researchers at NJIT have come up with a design for paint on solar cells. The technique relies on carbon nanotubes and buckyballs instead of the common silicon process, resulting in a drastically reduced cost of production. The inventors are envisioning a future where consumers could print out their own solar panels on ink jet printers.

The implications of this sort of technology are massive, taking us one step closer to widespread micro generation, where consumers produce their own electricity for their own needs. Technological advancement coupled with self-reliance - sounds good to me.