NATS

Well its that time of year again. Collegiate Nationals. This year it will be in Banner Elk, NC. The xc race wont be on the nationals course, thank god? At least i hope its better than going straight up driveway size roads and descending fun 1 track for 5 mins then back up. I'm feeling pretty good and am 150% motivated so hopefully i can pull of a good result. I leave for the airport in a few mins. Me and Ross are flying into atlanta and driving. If we get our hands on a rental, i feel bad for car and that e brake. Anywayz, i have a shit tone of homework to do while im gone which pretty much sucks. I guess i'll have two plane flights and two 5hr drives to get some done though. Alright well maybe ill update maybe i wont. Cross season is almost here, should be fun.

The Collegiate Banana Boat Tour

Well the racing circus is wrapping up its tour. I have been coming onto some unexpected form lately. Its amazing what some rest will do to your batteries. For the first time in awhile im nearing the end of the racing season mentally and physically fresh and hungry. I'm really looking to racing nationals in NC. MMMMMmmmmm.... Sea Level. Two weekends ago was Grand J. I raced really well holding 6th out of about 40 for 2 of 3 laps. I faded significantly the third lap and fell back to 12 but racing that far up for that long was a new feeling. Last week i took my new motivation and took to the flat roads out to Ft. Collins. Accompanying me was mister McScruff.

Oh yea, bringing sexy back!!?? Carter Lake was dry as a bone, but the views were nice.

The rest of my week pretty much consisted of taking tests and doing homework. This past weekend brought an improve race to Boulder. With all the canceled races this season we had to put on a race inorder to get some of our people enough starts to race nationals. Fun Stuff. The race was only STXC for endurance and a mtn cross for gravity. I raced really well again taking 10 despite taking 3 dirt naps. yea...3. The Mtn Cross brought with it some pretty funny sights. First timers, XC folk tearing it up against the gravity guys, people wearing lycra and others sweater vests. It was a pretty dynamic experience and a lot of fun.

Take Abby, First timer on anything gravity related, wearing lycra and a full face. Oh yea.....


Then there is Buel the mule. Pro gravity, blue jeans shorts and a sweater vest....yea...now thats the definition of speed.


This upcoming week seems to be full of the usual. Two midterms, two papers, homework, then off to Gunnison CO for conference Champs, the last collegiate race before nats. Thank God. Im looking forward to racing well and finally putting an end to traveling every weekend. Thats all i got for now, sorry for the lack of updates, no pics = not much fun to blog. Which reminds me, Sager, Bart and the rest of the mona vie crew cleaned shop at 24hrs of Moab. They took first overall, bart had the two fastest laps. Way to go guys!

W Y O M I N G

So what month was it this past weekend?....yea.....I'm pretty sure it was September. So what is up with the picture you might ask. Is it from last winter? no.....its from this past weekend. The collegiate race was held in laramie, WY. I lil cold front moved in for the XC race. We pulled up to the race site with it snowing and 32 degrees. WTF. STXC and super D were on Sat. while XC was on Sun, the usual routine. I went on a flyer, unintentionally, on the first lap of STXC. It hurt and i faded back to 10th where i finished. Bryan won of course. Super D was a lemond start and though it was only about 50 meters it hurt. I was fifth or so on the bike but eventually found myself behind bryan before the decent. Bryan and I ripped and would have finished 1,2 but my chain decided to break 500m from the finish. That sucked! Sunday was COLD with high winds. I raced well and finished a respectable 7th place, my best race thus far in collegiate, thanks FLC for not showing up! Thats all i got for now.