Racing at Home

The past weekend was no doubt an all around success!!! Great weather (for Boone anyways) and fantastic race courses made for an all around great race weekend. 

As for the Forkner's; little sis and I both had great weekends. Starting off the weekend with the hilly road race both Forkner's placed 10th in the Men's A's and Women's B's respectively. 

My road race, started off like a gunshot. Off the bat anxious skinny guys were at the front tearing my legs off as we ascended the 2.2 mile climb. At the top of the first climb only 3.3 miles into the race the field was shattered, a selection of 6 then 4 then a scattered array of broken racers made their way down the descent. After the first lap a solid group of a dozen or so formed behind the lead 6 and chasing 4. 

The next few laps went by with much similarity - climbing steady but painfully shedding a couple suffering souls here - there whom usually would catch back on the decent. Finally as we neared the end of our 4th lap the attacks began, and after a few half hearted attacks towards the top of the climb I knew that the 5th lap would be the one that decided who would be eligible for the 11th place sprint. 

As we started the 5th climb I noticed the Virginia Tech boys talking at the back and was certain that they were not interested in finishing as a group. I made sure to rest as best as possible up the first half of the climb and stuck like glue to their wheels. Sure enough just after half way one of the VT boys Reid Beloni launched off the front with one other rider, this was not too concerning to me as  I knew they would be swallowed by our group on the decent, however I still needed to keep them in view so I set a gaining tempo at the front to bring them back into range. As we grew within 300 meters of the two Owen Nielson launched up the side - this was my trigger - I followed. As soon as  I caught Owen another VT rider launched right back up on the left. This time I stayed on Owen's wheel knowing he wanted to be there as well, also confident in my descending skills would bring me up to the flyer with no problem. I was right and as we past by the solo VT rider Owen yelled to me that we had a gap. 

We began rotating down the rollers at 30-38 mph tearing the gap wide open and after no more than a half mile Reid was gone and Owen and I were left. We took 30 second to 1 minute turns at speeds between 25-35 mph all the way through the flats and to the base of the final climb. As we approached the climb we caught a glimpse of the 4 riders who were supposed to be over 2 minutes up on us. We had just closed a 2 minute gap in less than 6 miles. The group of four split and we caught the second two half way up the climb. 

We took turns pacing and as we went over the top I ticked it up a notch to drop the Navy rider clinging to the back of our group which left Owen, Michael Wilson and me as we descended with less than 6 miles left. Michael (my teammate) helped to keep the pressure off me by pulling and taking turns attacking Owen as we rolled towards the finish. Michael led us into the final few hundred meters and Owen and I began to watch each other intently as we neared the finish. I couldn't help but feel like this was more than just a 9th place sprint, moreover it was a showdown of the supposed sprinters of the ACCC. 

No matter how petty this may be in the scheme of things, at the time it was quite a moment - Owen went and I blinked a second too much and left a 5 meter gap - I closed too late as we lunged for the line with Owen's wheel a couple cm's a head of mine. Doh! Owen and I have only squared up twice to my knowledge and last time it was equally close, however I led out and took the honors the first go round. Score: 1 to 1 Hahaha 

Definitely a tactically fun race. 

Sunday's crit was even more successful for the Forkner duo with Allison nearly riding down the two girl last lap break in the final few hundred meters for 3rd place!!! A few meters more and she would have run them down!

The crit for me turned out nicely as well. Finding myself in a 4 man break for the first half of the race followed by a 10 man selection chasing a lone VT rider in the second half of the race. Once again Michael Wilson was there to share the work in the chase. However the 3 other VT riders in our selection were doing everything they could to ruin our chase - which worked as their solo teammate maintained his 12-15  second lead. With 4 to go I decided to go it a lone as our chase was not working hoping to take some pressure off of Michael and force VT to chase me or let me get up to their rider. With two to go I was caught by the dozen or so rider selection which now included Owen, As we rounded the course led out by a VT rider then Owen on his wheel lining up for the sprint I attacked with half a lap to go - just before the technical chicane. I almost instantly put 100 meters on the field and finished a lone for 2nd place. Michael would finish a great 6th place a few seconds later. 

All in all a great weekend - Al, post us up a recap of your races from your perspective!

The team itself won every event overall in D2 bringing us into 2nd overall in points and 1st in National's (A) points. 

See link for full season's results: http://www.wvucycling.com/Results/ACCCRoadSeason08.xls

Lil Sis = Big Time Bike Racer

Weasel Forkner raced in her first USCF race this weekend in the womens Pro, 1,2,3,4 in Greenville SC. Not only was she seen sitting confortably in the top 1/3 most of the race but she out sprinted dozens of girls to finish 17th overall and 6th out of women's 4's, not shabby for rubbing elbows with the pro's. ALSO our very own Lauren Trull WON the race in a close sprint against my teammate Josh's wife Deb Whitmore a rising Cat 3.

Oh and as for me? Well Saturday's race of 75 rolly miles was graced by non other than George Hincapie of team High Road riding some sicky sick 80mm HED carbon wheels. George played nice with us and did not really try to separate himself from the field, instead took a few hellacious pulls at the front ticking along the rollers between 28-35mph that mixed with a few fairly long climbs and never ending attacks the field was whittled down from 80+ to around 30 or less. I stumbled in in 14th place. Legs = Destroyed.

The next Day I wake up with dead legs, race the 56 miles Donaldson Center RR at the back with dead legs, make my way to the front to attempt a lead out with dead legs, pull for 30 seconds with dead legs, finished in the back with dead legs.

Collegiate Racing Baby Boomyow!!

Well... collegiate racing is in full effect. Crappy hotel rooms, worse food, cramped cars with bikes hanging off the back and tethered to every square inch of roof. (Pictured above; LMC and Me off the front in an early break at NC State Sunday February 17th 2008).

I have to say now that we have a flyer for our home ASU Cycling Team Race I am getting really excited. Our road course is dominant and the team time trial is going to be dead flat!!

Flyer: http://www.geocities.com/appstatecycling/2008_ASU_RaceFlyer.pdf

This weekend I will be skipping out on Navy due to lack of team interest and making my way down to Greenville, SC for the second weekend of the Greenville Training Series to ride with my new team (Carolina Triathlon Metro Reprographics or Team CTM). Got the new kits yesterday and they're looking pretty dang ol' sharp if you ask me. I really like the guys on my team and they seem to already be enjoying good results with 2nd 3rd and 5th place finishes at last weekends Greenville races. http://www.ncsccyclingassoc.com/

The magic kite

How often do you find a totally sick, intact, airplane shaped kite on the side of the road?





What can I say, who doesn't like kites?

Engagement Photos

After some serious convincing Bonnie finally got me to set my racing aside to snap a few photos for our upcoming May wedding. Although I admit to have been quite skeptical and even a bit pessimistic about the necessity of "engagement" photos I have to say I am very impressed and happy to have spent the day with our photographers. In their early 20's the newly wed photographers were fantastic and a lot of fun just to hang out with.

Snow Sesh Or No Sesh

Let the video and picture say it all; just another sunny day in the high country.

The real action went down just before this video was taken all four of us systematically crashed and slid down the hill behind Thatcher (the guy in the video).

Let this pimps be pimps and the players be players but for pete sakes don't forget to leave the yellow snow well enough alone.

Poor Bruskies

Traversing The Bruskies Step

My alarm clock screeches as the clock turns to 6:30am. I stumble to the computer and look outside to a fresh 4" of snow on the ground and more falling hard. A quick gmail check assures that I will indeed be making the 6ft traverse back into the bed to finish what I had started just 6 hours previous; sleep! School is canceled until 10 which means no work and upon further investigation I see two even more exciting emails sealing the deal with my other two 11 & 12:30 classes canceled too! Peyahw sleepytime USA!!!

The snow stuck around all weekend even collecting a nice layer of ice and fresh snow from a glancing storm the following Saturday. Such snow days of no work or school can mean several things to many people; but to me only two things; Melanie's for brunch and a snowy hike for desert! Bon and Bruskies have come to visit and we all load up with a few broskies for a nice 5 miler. Up to Price Park it is, everyone is excited but no one can match the enthusiasm of Bruin!! Prancing about the trail Bruskies quickly covers twice the ground we do running up the trail only to double back close enough to us to ensure our pursuit.
We get to a tricky log ladder but this proves no problem for the Bruskies as he clambers up the slippery snow/ ice covered 8 rung ascent. As I get to the top Bonnie says; "is that blood!?" sick what? Oh... on the ground in front of us a few quarter size blood spots as Bruin trots off... Oh no Bruins pads have been shredded by the ice capped snow that covers the trail and surrounding woods. Yikes, now what? We are a little over 1.5 miles in and the trail is 5 total... only one choice head back and carry the poor guy- easier said than done.. Although at first the barely 45lb dog seemed to be a breeze to carry over my shoulders like a wounded lamb, but after the first 1/2 mile I realize this will be a no small feat as my back and biceps begin to wail. Although by the end my right bicep had been through several stages of full on cramps and we had stopped to reposition several times we finally made it back to the car where we made the poor guy a nice comfy bed in the back. Phew! that was work, luckily Melanie had supplied me with ample calories and caffeine for the epic day.

Workville

I will be hosting a pity party for myself tonight and tomorrow morning. The party will be in honor of my new work schedule; for example I worked at 8am this morning, closed the shop later tonight at 11pm then will be back to open at 7am. Whooptydoo.

(Stage Left)- Enter Violinist - key A minor

Long Strange Trip

I sit here in the Sacramento airport as Truck'n makes its way into my head via headphones and iTunes shuffle. A fitting song as I reflect the last week and well heck the last three weeks have truly been a long strange trip.

• A few highlights of my "long strange trip" include:
• Wild ponies in Grayson Highlands
• Edible backpacking gear sales pitches from random guy #7 while backpacking along the AT
• Trail running through Charlottesville through sewer tunnels on 4" wide concrete blocks barely an inch out of city drainage
• Mucking horse stalls on the Hurt Farm
• Backpacking through the Shenandoah's and waking up to frozen fuel and single digit temperatures
• Unpacking and repacking for a backpacking trip in the same day
• Waking up at 4am to catch a trans-coastal flight
• Stuffing 8 guys and a weeks worth of gear into one suburban
• Waking up in a snow cave that had progressively gotten smaller throughout the night
• Waking up the following morning to dumping snow and howling winds
• Boiling snow for water needed every meal and sometimes just for fun
• Snow shoeing up 4,000 ft of elevation gain in under 5 miles through giant evergreens on fresh snow
• Taking poops in bags
• Cooking spaghetti in my Jetboil in the stairwell of a hotel
• Fending off vicious raccoons from our locked steel food box
• Sleeping within 20ft of a dozen or more deer including several albinos
• Hiking for 4 miles only to be destroyed by January Pacific seawater in a cave on the coast of Point Reyes National Seashore
• Driving the worlds curviest road in San Francisco in a fully loaded suburban with Josh screaming while being video taped by Japanese tourist
• Going to the bathroom with an 11 year old boy vomiting in one sink while a 50 year man urinates in the other,

Top 10 funniest moments of the last three weeks:
1. Travis taking a pull on a clove cigarette backwards
2. Adam stopping a girl at a gas station as she was driving away to play her a song on guitar
3. Ryan shaving his beard into a mustache and jumping a round the room naked screaming that mustache men kick ass.
4. Watching Johnny, Josh and Adam get destroyed by a wave fully dressed while trying to make it from one dry spot to the next
5. Telling shart stories in the hottob
6. Josh’s reaction to phonetrace
7. The movie Death Race 2000 staring Sylvester Stalone.
8. Adam playing Blue Corn Moon from Pocahontas on the recorder (he is disturbingly talented)
9. The fact that Ross’ trail name is now Mother Goose
10. Travis at any given moment

Sesshing Shasta

Here's the run down jacky brown:
- Raleigh to Sacramento via sky
-Sacramento to Shasta via Suburban with 8 broskies (with the same haircut) inside and all our gear crampon's, snowshoes, ice axes etc... truly a sight to behold.
-Town of Shasta to campsite via snow shoe.
-Zoomin around Shasta via snow shoe up to horse camp a nasty pitch including 3 miles of 6ft deep powder climbing over 3000 ft. 3 hours up and only 50 minutes down.
-Camp to car via snowshoe in driving snow
-Town of Shasta to Clear Lake via car
-Clear Lake to Point Reyes National Park and Seashore over 70,000 acres of pristine rocky coastline an hour north of San Francisco filled with all kinds of animals from albino deer to Elephant Seals.
-Point Reyes to San Fransisco via car - domestic disputes including a (suspected hooker) a Hispanic man with his pants down resulting in one beer bottle thrown a broken car window and colorful language.

Welcome to Forkville

Lets dive right in, welcome to Forkville, USA. This is my town, as mayor and town council I will try and keep the streets clean and the taxes fair. This blog will most likely be forgotten and rarely updated therefor if you are reading this then you must be lost. Stop reading this. Seriously why are you still reading this jibba jabba. One two three four five six seven eight stop. Please click the x at the top left or right of your screen depending on max or pc respectively.