If you were looking for my name in the National Championships results I apologize for you having to scroll down the page so far. I think I ended up in 71st which is pretty ridiculous... I'm pretty sure that's the furthest down I've ever finished in a race. I got off the fifth row really well and rode around about twenty riders on the first lap, slotting into somewhere around twentieth spot. After getting caught behind a couple of fallen racers I tried to keep the pressure on and despite a couple of little slips of my own I did my best to keep the pressure on. I was doing fine until I pinched the rear tire losing all of the air and all of my chances of finishing up with any sort of result. For anyone that was there, I flatted right before the ditch heading towards the two stair run-ups. That left about a mile or so of running for me before reaching the pit and my spare bike. By the time I finally got my hands on the other bike I lost so much time that I only had time for one additional lap before the officials yanked me off the course. I don't know how close the leaders where to me but it didn't really matter when it comes right down to it. Pops and I are on our way back home to Seattle and hopefully if the weather cooperates well be back sometime on Thursday. There's only so much more hotel living I can take for this season.

KANSAS

I've been on a bit of a DVD buying rampage the last month and have added about ten new movies to the collection. Most of them are previously viewed Blockbuster buys and ended up costing not much more than a rental. Besides what else is there to do on the road day after day living out of a hotel room? After finishing up the last Verge New England Series last Sunday with a fairly respectable ride and a couple of local Rhode Island Narragansett brews, pops and I packed up the gear and hit the road Monday morning from Boston. We arrived yesterday here in Kansas City, KS and made a trip to the Nationals venue after having some lunch with my great uncle Clete. We made it to the course a little early but that gave us the opportunity to watch the 40 minute Masters 45+ race and chat with some of the familiar faces that made the trip from Washington. Today was also the first day that I have actually ridden my bike since leaving Boston; for the entirety of the road trip west I was only riding my bike on the stationary trainer in the hotel room. Last night I actually set up the bike and trainer outside of the hotel room in the deserted parking lot and rode for an hour and a half to get used to the cold air in my lungs. There hasn't been much else happening. The weather channel is forecasting snow tonight and possibly more to come Saturday afternoon with sunshine predicted on Sunday for the Elite Mens race. Either way it's going to be epic conditions as the course continues to get shredded over the next 48 hours. In preparation for Sunday I put in some nasty looking spikes in my beautiful white NorthWaves, replaced the rear derailleur cable and cable housing, and have gotten a hold on some vegetable oil spray for my bikes. I've never actually used vegetable oil on the bikes but it is supposed help keep mud from building up on the bike frames, meaning less buildup and drag. We'll see tomorrow if it works when I pre-ride the course. Later.

W.E. Steadman GP

After fueling up with delicious breakfast sandwiches with Thom and Ashley in Cambridge Pat (my dad) and I hit the road south to Goddard Park in Rhode Island. The park is in a beautiful spot along Greenwich Bay, just one of the many bays and inlets in the state, and included a run along the beach before heading back into the forested areas. The course was really fun today and despite having a poor start I worked my way up through a good chunk of the field on the first grass/mud sections. Then after having a little lull midway through the race I finished the last three laps with some authority by pulling away from a chasing group of four and catching Fior di Frutta rider Toby Marzot on the last lap, finishing with a bit of time to spare in 13th. The race at the front was apparently a four man race between both the Wells brothers, Jesse Anthony, and Chris Jones. In the end it came down to Anthony and Todd Wells for a two up sprint with Wells getting the honor of the top spot. Tomorrow the weather is apparently supposed to supply a crafty front of frozen rain, so that could add to the excitement.

Back in Boston

Red eye flights are always kind of hard to do. The one last night wasn't too bad and only lasted about four and a half hours, leaving Seattle at 10:40 PM and touching down in Boston by 6:30 AM. I always feel a little bit disoriented after a flight like that because you miss a full night's sleep and then usually feel like sleeping for the rest of the day. After groggily waking up from a five hour nap I ate some oatmeal, watched most of the movie 300 and then built up the two bikes before jumping onto the stationary trainer for an hour of power. I'm not quite sure how well the indoor ride will help prepare me for tomorrow but I sure as hell wasn't going to venture out into the cold and slick, icy streets of Boston for a two hour ride, it's bad enough when the roads aren't slushy and slippery. Tomorrow is the first of the last two races in the Verge New-England Cross Series and I'm going to throw down. I'd like to end this season on a high note following through with a good ride at nationals. It will be a tough stretch ahead with around 22 hours of driving from Rhode Island to the national's venue in Kansas City but luckily my dad flew back out to Boston with me and will be helping out for the rest of the time on the road. The plan is to have the team van and all it's current possessions back in Seattle in time for Christmas time with the family. Portland: First day I didn't do that great; the second day I destroyed the rim of my front wheel on the first lap and struggled to stay on the lead lap... and ended up getting lapped my Ryan Trebon with two laps to go. When I went into the bathroom after the race to wash my face I didn't even recognize myself I had so much mud caked on my face.