So it has been over a month since my last post but I am still alive and kicking! Well since my last post I have won two races, the Duke Criterium (in the pouring rain) and the Wake Forest Criterium just yesterday and also turned 20 (years young). I won the Duke Crit in a breakaway in which I was solo for the last ten laps and yesterday won the crit when I was in a five man breakaway and won the sprint to the finish line. Yesterday I played the crit just right trying not to work to much in the break and hopefully allow the others to work a little more so I would have the most in the tank at the end. On the final lap everyone was sitting up just waiting for someone to attack and try to hold it till the line but my goal was to hop on the wheel of whoever attacked and hold that spot right till the end. Luckily I was paying full attention and noticed the attack from Stephen Smith from NC State and was able to be the first one to grab his wheel. I knew if I wanted to win the crit I would need to be on his wheel (in 2nd place) going into the last turn because it was a very technical turn heading into the final sprint and all day it has been hard to pass after the turn. He hit it full speed from when he attacked to the finish line but since I had been sucking his wheel for the entire last half lap, he had spent a lot of energy and I was able to sneak past him for the win.....barely! I beat him by the length of a tire but it was enough. It felt great to sneak by him for the win not just because my teammates had blocked so I could get up the road in the break and allow me to stay away but also because my parents nor brother have ever had the chance to watch me win a road race. I had told my roommate Derek and good friend Andrew that I wanted to win the crit on Sunday because my family would be there and knowing that gave me the ability to do something special. It also helped add to the teams tremendous lead in the ACC Division 1 standings which has been a success all season because of team work that all of us have put together. We have two more race weekends, one being at West Virginia University then the conference championships at Virginia Tech in three weeks. It looks like we should end the season on a solid note and wrap up the season as the Conference CHAMPIONS! Next we will be sending a squad to race at collegiate road nationals in Madison, Wisconsin the first weekend in May. On to other things (the few other things I think about besides bike if such things exist). I turned 20 a few weeks ago like I previously said which was really fun and relaxing. I got to spend the week back home in Rutherfordton hanging out since I was on Spring Break and went to the Water Oak with friends and family on the night of my birthday. I of course, since it was my birthday, got the most expensive thing on the menu was is superbly delicious filet minion that almost melts in your mouth! As boring as Rutherfordton can be at times, it really was relaxing and enjoyable to get to spend some time at home and just be able to do nothing for a few days with no worries. College is going well and fast for sure! Seems like just yesterday I started this semester and now I have only four weeks remaining! This summer I will take a class or two and ride my bike a ton! I will be putting a lot of time and focus into training and racing and hopefully getting some good results so I can hopefully get on a good team for next year. I will be racing across the southwest and possibly a few trips to races in Philly and Wisconsin. Other summer ideas could possibly lead me to a cross country trip to ride mountain bikes out west or moving to Belgium for a month to race road bikes against the worlds best (the best idea yet most expensive). My summer decision will be made soon but I have some studying and exams to finish first before my spontaneous summer can begin. Another interesting thing I did recently was participate in a study that was put on by the Exercise Science Department here at ASU. I worked with Dr. Dave Morris (who previously worked at the United States Olympic Center with the top American athletes and coached a handful of world champion cyclist including Danny Pate and Allison Dunlap) on testing the effects of different supplements at 14,000 ft altitude. The first week I went and just did a VO2 max at normal conditions and then took a garlic supplement one week and a non-nutritive sweetener the next to see how they effected my ability at altitude through the hypoxic air. It was fun finding out my VO2 max (Which ended up being very high and comparable to many elite-world class athletes. My roommate Derek also had an extremely high max too!) and do the testing especially since I got paid. Your VO2 max is pretty much your natural ability and tells what your potential could be given you put in the work (pretty much like your athletic ceiling for endurance sports). Well that is all for now folks but I promise to keep you more updated on my crazy, always fulfilling, fast paced life!
Quote of the Day: "Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes" - Buddha
