So, this weekend saw Privateer take to the roads again - really?  Really.

It also saw me get smacked by the great wheel of Karma.  In the Sisquoc Road Race, about 10 minutes after I gave Weixel crap about his teams' sponsor bike shop because his rear derailleur was clacking like a maraca for at least 30 minutes, I hit a hole. I stopped thinking I had a flat, but it wasn't.  The wheel slipped in the dropouts, was dragging brake, and shifting went to hell.

I got gapped at the end of lap two/start of lap three, as a result.  And, I spent all of lap three killing it trying to get back on.  Didn't happen.  I did finally feel like I have enough HP to road race again.  It's been a long time...

Sunday saw me in San Luis Obispo for the Downtown Classic Criterium.  Raced the 4's and the 30+ 4/5 races.

I was 23rd in the 4's race, and 4th in the 30+.

I was in about the same position in the 4's race at 3 to go as the 30+ race.  Then it got spooky with guys divining in and out, and I pretty well backed off the whole affair.  I didn't want to get jacked up the weekend before Master's Track States.

        

OK kids.  After a number of external emails and much internal discussion, we have decided to open Privateer to new members.  This is a limited time opportunity - meaning, we don't want to hassle with it continually.  Application deadline for the 2009 season is September 16, 2008

So, if you're interested in joining Privateer, go to the main Privateer web page, follow the tab titled "Join Privateer."  Read, decide, follow instructions.

Tonight was the Monday night Echelon TT.  PR'd the course @ 24:02 and 40.3kph average, made reasonable power, and think I had the second fastest time for the night.  Don said we'd have to check the paper to get all results.

J.

        

Started the last race of the Bob Hansing Cup as "Most Aggressive," finished as best Cat 3/4 Endurance Racer for 2008.  Got another cool purple number, a trophy, and a new Izumi track chain for Fourth overall in the Series.

Now, to prep for Master's States at the end of the month, with a possible stop next weekend in San Diego to hold onto my third overall in the SoCal Track Cup.

J.

        

Yesterday was the CBR ITT State championships in Lancaster.  It was another lovely day at full throttle in the desert.

TjK convinced me that I should go do the race, babbling something about "You're going good right now, I think you'd do well." Mostly though, I think he wanted me to do the race just to torture me with the course that John Richards said was the most mentally crushing thing he'd ever done.  I think I understand what John was talking about now.  It's a 40km, flat course, out and back, with exactly one 180 degree turn.  It's so flat you can almost see the turn from the start line.  The out leg is typically downwind and the home leg, obviously, is headwind.

TnA was nice enough to carpool with me and split the hotel.

I raced the Masters Men 35-39 group.  Gustavo Corona was in my group, which kind of meant I was racing for second.  EARLY start times.  TnA started at 7:24AM, me at 7:36AM.  I find it very difficult to stomach going full throttle that early.  Conditions were warm, with light wind for the whole race.  Very unusual for this course. 

The out leg went well, caught my 30s man before the turnaround, which also kind of sucked because Gus was my minute man and that meant I wouldn't really have anyone else to aim at catching for the rest of the race that was in my group.  The out leg is false flat to the turn.  I tried to keep focused and stay on the gas hoping that the false flat on the way home would make the headwind home more bearable.  It did. 

My mind started to wander on the home leg and I remembered watching the team cars following the Spanish riders in the Tour TTs.  The team director howling on the megaphone - Venga! Venga! Venga!  I remembered how I thought those guys must want to kill their DS by the end of the race.  I would.  Then I laughed because I was the guy yelling "Venga!"

By default I PR'd the course since I'd never raced it before.  I did however, also PR for the 40km ITT. 
55:08 at 43kph average, a "true" sub hour 40km - stoked.  I finished second in my group.  Gus won my group (52:4X) - super fast.  Pat Caro (CAT1/2) had the fast time of the day though at 51:2X - stupid fast.  TnA was 56:3X and third in the super competitive 45-49 group.

More racing next weekend at Encino, then possibly a road trip to San Diego for the last of the SoCal track cup, then Sisquoc RR, and the SLO crit on the 19th/20th.

J.

        

Summer is finally here.  It was hot as hell this weekend - YEAH!! 

I missed the pre-reg cutoff for State crit so I didn't go racing this weekend.  I hate the feeling of not racing and not knowing how I would have fared and being left only to speculate.  At least when you fail there's a definitive answer - the "what if?," sucks.  Props to Chester in the 4's race, I wish I would have been there for you.

CBR ITT is this weekend.  It might be the last 40km TT I do for the rest of the season.  I'm really looking forward to finally doing some high intesity work, 4 more weeks of FTP work then it's time to try and put an edge on this blade...  I've gotten a little to keep the system active by racing and doing group rides but nothing says suffering like focused HI repeats.

Which brings us to the approach of Championship time -  Masters' States Track at San Diego on the 26/27 of July,  Encino Champs the 16/17 of Aug, then Master's Track Nats at Hellyer the 2-6 September, then Elite Nats in October at ADT - "if" I can qualify.  Seems very close, and at the same time so far away.

SethZ's OSM TT sounds like it was a big hit.  So much so I might even go embarass myself in an uphill TT.  I think I'm going to petition for an MSO race as well (reverse TT on OSM).  As luck would have it I was practising my MSO TT last Thursday after work and had a parked CHP flip on the lights and yell "slow down!" over his PA system.  Apparently he wasn't prepared for the thundering glory of the "Meat Pie" in full flight.  I told him I was going slow as I passed but, I don't think he heard me....

J.

        

In preparation for Saturday night's Sprint and Keirin tourney at Encino I decided that a good meal of Sushi would be appropriate.  Sadly, something we had at dinner knocked both of us flat nearly all day.  Not to belabor the point but, we didn't move off the couch due to the gastrointestinal distress until about 5pm that evening. 

Bummed to miss the races, especially since I could have just eaten at home and avoided the problem entirely.  Sounds like it was a long night of racing too - maybe even past midnight?

We finally felt like eating a late dinner and then went to see the new Indiana Jones movie.

I woke up early Sunday AM, and felt OK.  So, I decided to see if the spare chain I had lying around would work with the 9spd group on the mountain bike, given the fact that it had been broken twice and crossed the Alps and Dolomites it was time to replace it.  Unfortunately the chain fit - so I went MTB racing at Elings park.  I raced in the Sport Clydesdale 35+ group.  I finished 8th.  I was really just there as moral support for TjK, who finished 8th in the Sport 40-44 group given how little I race MTBs.  It was another event with full 100% Privateer participation!

MTB racing is hard.  I forgot what it feels like to go full throttle for two hours.  Coming up the single track to the finish on the last lap I was getting the chills, was nauseas and had goose bumps, so even without my power meter I knew I couldn't have possibly gone any harder.  The last 200m was full survival mode, prefect pacing.

TjK met me at the line with a cold full water bottle - that's a teammate!  I then realized I couldn't bend at the waist anymore due to the pain in my lower back.  After the race TnA fully shamed me into racing the Monday night TT by simply shrugging his shoulders and saying "Oh, yeah.  I'm doing the TT tomorrow. No problem."  This, after I tell him how wrecked I am, and that I probably wouldn't do it.  Tom was at the start tonight but fully dressed for the ride home from work - blue jeans and all, and saying "Yeah, you were right. I am pretty beat up from the race."  Meanwhile, I'm standing there in my Superhero costume ready to roll off.

I told Tom it was either going to be really fast or really slow.  If I was numb enough from the left over pain from the race I thought I might be able to push.  Wind was tough tonight.  According to the weather station data, it was blowing about twice as hard as last time (11.5 vs 6.9 mph).  I finished second on the night at 24:53 -slower than lasttime but I'm blaming the conditions.  Steve Boelter beat me at 24:32.  I was happy though as the power was about the same as last time and I was certainly not fresh as a daisy for this one.

Still sorting out how to open Privateer to new members.  The selection process will be tough....

Jason.

        

I am not a morning person.  Anyone that knows me, knows this about me.  So when Tom invited me to join him early Saturday morning at his "half-pipe" to learn how he does his aero testing, it also explains how much I wanted to know how TnA gets his CdA data to be so good.

The half-pipe test course is cool, and works the Chung method to perfection.  Now I want to find one closer to the house so I don't have to get up so damn early to get good data.

I mistakenly thought the Sprint and Keirin tourney at the ADT center was in the evening on Saturday like all the rest of the SoCal Cup Track races.  My mistake.  When I discovered warm up started at 9am I knew I was a no-go.  Partly because fighting traffic in LA first thing in the morning is one of my least favorite things and also because I had already committed to meeting Tom.  So I missed it.

To make up for it I got up just as early the very next morning and went to the Piru 20km TT.  I was very curious to see how I would do here given my fitness and the new TT bike.  TjK and Atsuko were there and a little surprised to see me but, I didn't really know I was going until I knew I missed the racing at the track Saturday AM.

Conditions were great for my start time with a light head wind on the out leg and building to a strong tailwind on the way home.  I set a PR for the course - 29:07.  Almost cracked the 28min mark, something to shoot for next time.

In other news...due to continued public interest the Privateer membership committee will be meeting this week to discuss the potential for opening up Privateer to new members.  All potential crew members should look for details to be posted to the website soon.

J.

        

Since we last checked in on our heroes some racing happened...

Last weekend (5/17/08) saw the third installment of the Endurance races of the SoCal Cup at the San Diego Velodrome.  One word - HOT.  It was 92F in the shade and track temps were in excess of 105F. 

Apparently the heat affected my mental abilities and I slept through the opening lap of the miss-n-out and was eliminated first lap.  Smiley face or not, that sucked.

        

This weekend is the final installment of the Endurance Leg of the SoCal track cup in San Diego.  Heading down to race in some serious heat I'm afraid - we'll see if I melt.

After two rounds I'm in third overall in the 3/4's.  Really want to try and hold that position, or better it if possible.  I don't have a lot of time at the San Diego track and I remember being there last time really threw off my timing as to when to attack.  Should be interesting...

Ran the new TT bike Monday night in the Echelon/Don Flanagan Memorial series.  Was third overall for the night - is there a theme developing here?  The new bike felt great (no pun intended) - and I don't care that Gary made fun of me for riding a Felt and not a Cervelo, my rear brake is cooler than his.   Had a great mano-a-mano battle with TnA pretty much the whole course.  I really owe him one for keeping me motivated and not lifiting when I really started to hurt.

Hope to enjoy Saturday night with ScottyV, and then maybe see Steele and the brood for breakfast Sunday and go to Legoland!! 

Jason.

        

Well, I learned after the last race at ADT center not to taunt the photographer.  Jenelle has taken a tremendous number of photos but they were all out of focus or blurred.  Evidence below:


At least I'm leading the field through turn two. 

So, no photos from the SoCal #2 from this last weekend at Encino.  She was protesting because I ridiculed her pictures so much from the last race at ADT.

A 6th and a 2nd place for a third overall at Encino this weekend.  Don't taunt the photographer.  Got to wear the purple number from the "most aggressive" racer.  Did what I could to save the title.  We'll see what Al has to say in the next week or two.

Points race and scartch race - I was a little bummed that they canceled the miss-n-out races.  Miss-n-outs are horribly painful but fun in weird way.  I haven't had the greatest success in them but I like them none the less, so I wasn't happy they canceled them to stay on schedule. 

Best comment of the night was from the guy from Adams Avenue Cyclery - "When I saw you go in the Scratch Race I thought 'damn, here we go again.'"

Saw Donatello and the rest of the Bike Barn crew this weekend.  Reminded me why Privateer was spawned - thanks folks.

So, I think after this weekend I'm four points away from the Cat2 upgrade.  Must push.  Push.

The new TT bike is in, but I need new cables, and a rear brake caliper - and legs, legs would really help. 

Just watched the latest Showtime "This American Life."  Man, I love that show on radio and TV - Ira Glass is super.

J.