Running form Pneumonia

Tuesday, May 27, 2003
I am in Antwerp visiting Brian in the hospital. He has pneumonia and has been in the hospital for 1 week. They have drained 8 liters of fluid out of his lungs. I have been racing hard and time has been going by fast. I have been consistently up front but I just can’t seem to make the correct moves. I bought running shoes yesterday and have started running again I feel really sore in my calf muscles but that is exactly what I wanted. I want to run for the intensity packed into a short work out.

Jake Stephens Pulaski Bike Jam

Jake Stephens took the picture of the finish of the Wondelgem Kermess that he attended with my roomates and cousin, to watch me suffer.

Jake Stephens
Back from Abroad
PULASKI BIKE JAM. SATURDAY.Mostly I just couldn't believe how slow it was. I'd spent the entire morning kicking around the house, trying to talk myself into and out of doing the 123 race, which today was Before the 3/4, and I wanted to Win the 3/4. But just 20 miles? I mean, that's not even and hour. Finally I'd forced myself to stall leaving the house for Baltimore long enough to keep myself from being able change my mind later and register for the 123. Fat chance I'd be able to beat my teammates in that race anyways, so better save it. But after all that, here we are. Going like 3 mph around a swooping asphalt loop, with no corners except for some contrived wire bender affair that robbed the course of what could have been it's coolest feature -- a grand sweeping turn left, then high speed counter-swerve right. Anyways, we're going slow. We've got a full six-man squad though. Jon Hansen is the designated sprinter, Steve Soltes the back up, or lead out man if Jon has it. I'm going to try to breakaway. The 3 juniors are going to control the pace and cover attacks as necessary. They all trade some work, and I have them floor it a couple times to string things out. Anyways, I wait until I see both of the other breakaway threats at the front, Nick Johnson and Brian Butts, and then I attack, figuring they'll come with me, and then we'll have a strong 3-man break. Zoom, I'm off the front. Way off the front. Doo-do-dooo. Still off the front. Nobody coming across. Ah well, all the slowness and a poor warm up, so I decide to open the legs a little bit. I roll a mile lap with the HR at about 182 -- pushing a bit, but not trashing myself. Meanwhile Nick and Brian are swinging pulls on the front and the field is strung out like a chopped pasta noodle. I'm not soloing, so I chill a bit and roll back a bit after the prime bell rings "A new pair SOCKS!!" Woo-hoo. As they catch me I look at them and smile, and say "A really nice pair of socks!!" and attack again (softly, a false attack to fire it up and intimidate). The field gets fired again, instead of resting like it wanted to, and then I put the juniors back on the front. People need to suffer a little. This slow roll to a sprint shit doesn't cut it. Steve gets on and drives a bit too -- getting other people to do it when he can, intelligent-like -- and just being there. I sit about ten back, and after Belgium this is like a friggin' pleasure cruise. No problem. I've got some gear left. I can lead it out Hard for my boy Jon. (I've got some heavy wheels on, and accelerating on the uphill finish doesn't seem likely; plus my sprint is trashed anyways after not using it Ever in Belgium.) Right about then, Jon rolls up and says his legs are flat. The juniors look pretty spent. Steve has been on the front. Three laps to go, nobody is coming to the front for the lead out, and I start thinking -- but not too much avail. Finally, 1-lap-to-go. Exactly then Patrick Gellineau and Aubrey Gordon roll up to the front. Gordon won last year, and so they are the sprint threat. Over 50, but still a threat. A soft lead out by them starts, sweeping up the stragglers off-the-front, and then they slow up to let the field play for a while before starting the lead out. The field surges out of the stupid-corner, and then everything pauses. Gellineau's not going to lead it out from here. They're waiting for the stupid guy, or the other organized team (none) to start driving it. Nobody comes through. A big hesitation.I see the opportunity and react instinctively. By the time I have the gap in, I know this is it. I may not have a shotgun sprint at the moment, but I've still got jump, and I put 30 meters in before they even know what hit them. By then I'm pushing the 53x14 up the hill gradient, pouring it on, legs hurting -- don't look yet -- still hurting.... At the 200m mark I look back, in mid-stroke, still carrying the big gear, and I barely even see them coming. I'm so happy I almost laugh. Me, who has never soloed off anything, out way in front of the field, cruising in easy over the line. 1st place.Gordon won the sprint, and my boy Steve takes ~5th. Party on Wayne

Triptyque Ardennais

May 26, 2003 Finally some nice weather in Belgium. The Ardennes was a tough challenge I am pleased but yet upset with my performance. I was able to finish this year’s race but seemed to always be a little behind when it mattered most. Since steep climbs used to be my specialty and they are where I suffered most during this race I feel very disappointed. I felt very strong the whole race and was able to accomplish my goal of finishing.
Triptyque Ardennais started on Friday with a 159 km stage. This year’s first stage was a far cry from the hard charging race from the year before. It seemed like we were waiting for someone to take charge all day and riders were doing crazy things to get to the front of the pack. On thin finishing circuit the race finally started breaking up. I was unfortunately at the back because I didn’t feel like risking my life to hold my position. I was not able to close all the gaps that opened in front of me. By the top of the hill a 200-meter gap had opened between my group and the front 66 riders and no one seemed to want to chase. it was a very uneventful ride to the finish for me.
Stage 2 started in the rain and I was very nervous because after the dangerous riding I had seen the day before I was sure there would be a lot of crashes in the rain. The 102 km course was an eventful race with short steep climbs throughout the course and sprint and climbing points available every 10 km or so. I tried to stay near the front to avoid the same mistake that had taken me out of the overall race contention the day before. I stayed in the top r\twenty for most of the day except for the final sprint where I decided to save my energy for the afternoon individual time trial.
Stage 3 was a 13 km individual time trial it was also raining for my ride. the team had given me the full Time trial kit consisting of aero bike, aero helmet and long sleeve skin suit. I started the time trial fast but soon realized the bike was to small and I broke the handlebars when my knees slammed them while standing to sprint out of the turns. it was a neat experience to race such a technical course with such nice equipment but I felt I had not prepared correctly and hopefully in the future I will not make such mistakes.
Stage 4 the final stage, was the toughest day of racing with a very tough and long course. Triptyque Ardennais overall classification is always decided on the final stage because it is so tough. I felt good and tried to stay near the front but it was hard, everyone wanted to finish knew that it was important to stay at the front. the race went up some twisting accents that I rode very well and then down some wicked decent that pushed our handling skills to the limit on the narrow roads. I hit a top speed of 105 km/h on one of the decent. every thing was going well until we hit a climb that the race was to go over twice and was located just 8 km from the finish. I rode the steep part of the climb well but the 2 km gradual climb to the top cracked me and I was chasing the rest of the way but I was able to finish.
The race was perfect training and I feel very strong now ready to tackle anything.

Derny Racing

Things must be going well since time seems to be moving quickly. I picked up team bike, a Riddley, from the factory here in Belgium. Riddley is a Belgian bike manufacturer and hopefully built this bike for the Belgian cobbles. The Riddley seems to move fluidly around the Belgian roads; it is nice to be on a new bike. I really notice the difference in how smooth the new parts are. The parts on my Cannondale must have been really worn. I would like to thank my parents for sponsoring my new bike; without them I would not be able to afford such an expense. Thursday I also raced at Wondelgem. The race started well and I was active for most of the race but I got caught behind a crash. An American from the Cycling Center in Hertsberge, Belgium overlapped wheels and met the pavement. Unfortunately I was the first rider behind him and had to completely stop. The single file group shot by and I jumped into the line as soon as I could get up to speed. The race stayed single file and at a speed of 52 km/hr for about three laps. I knew I was in trouble because the race was being made while I was stuck in the back. I tried to make up for the mistake but was not able to accomplish much. Friday I put my new bike together and was able to do a short test ride but could not tell much from such a short ride. Friday evening Rein, Ruben, Vicky, Niko and I went bowling. I wanted to see if it was similar to American bowling and of course it was exactly the same.
Derny racing is a blast. The derny is a motorcycle that is custom built for motor pacing road bikes. The derny looks like an old style bike with a motor built in. The derny has pedals and a huge chain ring so the derny drivers can pedal along with the motor. Racing behind the derny is a very interesting experience; the derny driver navigates the course and the rider behind him regulates the speed with voice commands. Allez Allez, is the command to go faster but don’t get too aggressive because the derny can reach 75 km very quickly. Ow Ow, is the command for the derny to slow.
On Sunday my teammate Brian Fagin and I participated in our first derny race. The race was in Rotterdam, Holland around an oval shaped go-cart course. It consisted of three races for points and the one with the most overall points won. It was a perfect place for Brian and I to have a crash course in derny racing. Walter and Luk were our derny drivers and were the perfect teachers for Brian and I. Walter is from Antwerp and was Brian’s driver. He taught us a lot about the racing and also happened to ask if I knew a Jack Simes. Walter had raced against Jack about 30 years ago when Jack was a strong sprinter racing here in Belgium. I know Jack as one of the local cycling fixtures at the Lehigh County Velodrome. Luk is from Gent and owns a bowling alley, which happens to be the one I was at Friday night. He motor paces professional riders like Mathew Gilmore and Frank Vanderbroke and also does a lot of work with riders at the Gent velodromes. The races were hard and fast and Walter and Luk took care of Brian and I, placing us well and giving us a good work out. It was a very strange feeling to be racing with the motorbikes. We hit tops speeds of 60 km/hr and battled it out for the finish. Of course our finishing places helped with myself coming in 4th and Brian placed on the podium with a third place finish. We are looking forward to future derny races. Sometimes they go down roads and over long distances. I would love to get a chance at one of those.
Monday I raced a kermesse in Puivelde, Belgium. Since the Belgians had their local championship races over the weekend Monday’s race was full of foreign riders that hadn’t raced all weekend. The race started off quick but had a strange twist. About 30 minutes into the race, we were stopped because we had caught up to a police car that was blocking our race. I am not sure what the police car was doing but the race was restarted. The break that was away was allowed to get its gap back and then the race was on once again. Storms were blowing across the area and it seemed like no one wanted to race in the rain because the pace would slow whenever it started to rain. I was trying to race aggressively but it seemed like no one could pull through but they could attach and crack into the wind. The race was not very hard because of the strange tactics but the rain made it miserable. The most interesting thing about this race was the drug test after the race. This is the first kermesse that I heard of having drug testing. My friend Jake Stephens, an American who is here just for three weeks, was selected for the testing. I can’t wait to hear about the test from a personal point of view. I hope every one is enjoying hearing about my Belgian adventure and please keep in touch.

Sucking Wind at a Drongen Kermess

When things are going well, time flies. You don’t realize how good things are. When things are going bad, time seems to stop. All you can think about is how you want another chance as soon as possible. I raced well at Hoboken, even though it is only a couple days ago it seems like a long time. My mini stage race of kermesses did not go so well. Sometimes it is hard to read your body early in the season. The feeling of a need to race overwhelms you and you end up doing too much. The weekend started out well with an under 25-age race in Zwijnaarde just south of Gent. I felt good and was racing hard when I went to cross a gap and a friend of mine, Reno, flew past, smiling at me, to finish closing the gap. I jumped into the single file line of the race and just gritted my teeth in the hope that no other gaps would form but when the pace eased too soon I knew I was stuck in the second group. My team mate Brian Fagin and I rode aggressively trying to free ourselves from this group. Brian was able to form his own group and finish 24th. I finally got free with a lap to go and came in about 36th. My smiling friend Reno was able to just miss first place by a bike length. I am very happy for him and hopefully someday I can smile at him as I race past. Sunday at Drongen, there was a tough crosswind and the race just blew apart from the start. I missed the move and my day ended early. My teammate Brian made the group and pushed himself to the limit with an avg. heart rate of 184 for the race to finish 11th, a satisfactory result for so early in the season since we both have not been in Belgium for long. Monday I rode two hours to a kermesse in Denderhoutem. I was hoping to go well since this course had a cobbled hill but the cobbles proved to rough for my tired legs and I cracked early. It was a depressing ride home because I hate when I don’t finish races but I guess my body realizes when I need rest even when my mind thinks I can do it. This next week should be very fun; I am resting hard today so I can be back on top for the Staf Boone World Championships on Thursday in Wondelgem. Also Thursday morning I will be picking up my new team bike, which I am really looking forward to since I cannot get my Cannondale to stop having small problems. Then on Sunday I will be racing in Holland in a derny race. This race is like a time trial behind a motorcycle and I am looking forward to this new kind of racing. Wish me luck on this new style. Thanks

Kermess Racing

Two weeks have passed since I have first stepped into Belgium. It has been one adventure after another. Tuesday I launched a hot air balloon with Ruben, Rein, Ruben’s brother Dieter and their friend Jürgen who owns the balloon. We launched the balloon after dinner on one of the most peaceful evenings. There was a light wind that was blowing from the southwest. The balloon traveled from Gent to the Holland border, where we packed the balloon up in a grassy field. The evening was so relaxing and peaceful. Ruben got to be the passenger in the balloon for the flight, seeing the peaceful Belgian villages from above. I can only imagine how Ruben must have enjoyed the flight. April 30th was and is Ruben’s birthday, happy birthday Ruben.
Belgian rainbows are beautiful; unfortunately they mean it is raining somewhere and that somewhere is usually where I am riding. The UCI 1.5 race in Hoboken went well. At the race I met the core of the Royal Antwerp club since the race was just outside Antwerp. They were happy to have me on the team; the positive feeling I received helps me feel more at home and able to focus on my training. The race started as soon as it started raining. The course stared with three large laps of sliding chaos through twisting roads and traffic islands. The smooth flowing European peloton was able to survive without any major mishaps. The rain stopped for the eight finishing laps. The finishing laps were small roads with lots of turns and a long tail wind section followed by some rough cobbles and a very short up hill. Luckily most Belgians can’t go up hills. The tail wind section was so fast we would be spinning out our biggest gear; the group would fly onto the cobbles. The cobbles would bring us to a stop and the course would u-turn onto a short hill and then turn into a head wind. This section was very tough but luckily most people were exhausted and I was able to leave my group with two laps to go. A small chase group formed around me including two of my teammates. We held off the field and almost caught a large group in front of us. My teammates in my group placed well in the sprint to finish 24th and 28th; I was drained and came in 31st, one place out of a small result. Two other of my teammates rode well placing sixth and sixteenth. It was a good day in Hoboken with my new team riding aggressively; hopefully it will be a successful season for my team and myself. This weekend I am racing for three straight days making my own mini stage race of kermesses, to help me train for up coming challenges.