The Sword of Doom

So with no racing to stress out about or "serious" training to do, let's go see a metal show! Last night one of my favs came to town, The almighty Sword. Did a little pregame with some tacos and beers in the company of my man Ryan and my awesome basement dwelling co-workers, Anya and Paul. Man, the Round Corner has some good eats by the way.

Show wise the Sword is one of the tightest live bands I have ever seen, I mean look at how hard there bringing it.



And to top it off they totally tweeted back at me after the show. What can I say I am doomed to be eternally 15.

10-4

Well that's it cross season is over for me. Almost made it to a race in December but I have officially maxed out my body and brain and definitely the patience of my family. This season was amazing, man it was jam packed with good times, good courses, great people and an insane amount of burrito consumption. The trip to Cross Vegas was one of the best times ever, I am already waiting for reg to open up for next years event. The whole cross vegas experience was surreal to say the least. Racing against, hanging out with all these ex-pros and dudes you only know via the internet was totally bizzarro land. Like I said I can't wait for next year.
So another season and my love for this game just keeps growing, but for now it's time to slap the fenders on and soft pedal for a bit. Winter is here the long rides are just around the corner and the first races of spring really are not that far off. Geez, I don't want to get all blubbery but I will miss hanging out in the fields of Mid-Atlantic with easily some best people on the planet. So as the echoes from the cowbells of Granouge carry me through the winter, I hope to see  new friends and old way before September rolls around..

Long live the king.

At the beginning of this cross season there was message between two friends that was leaked on facebook.What was meant to be a private inside joke became public, and began the in depth debate of just who is the "King of Cross". I'm not talking global because most of us would agree Sven Nys is overlord of the sport right now. On a national level the debate could go on for months, Powers, TJ, Trebon, and the list grows and grows. I'm talking local here. Every region has there man, or woman that is the got to source for cross. New England has a few but right now that guy is Adam Myerson. Myerson is like theYoda of cross, he been at it since his teen years and he's like 38 now. So next time you start thinking your OG cross master because raced around some college campus in the fall of 2002 think again. Philly has Fergie and Yozell and to be honest a bunch of folks that really no there stuff and give allot to there local cross community. Of course there's the ultimate giver Fatmarc Vanderbacon of the DCCoD. Anybody who has met Marc knows what I'm talking about, the dude straight up rules. He puts everything into his team, his races, and to make sure everyone has what they need to have a good race and more importantly a good time. If you have never gone to Granouge for the Queen of the MAC then put it in your bucket list, it is a first class cyclocross jamboree.

So what about the 'Burgh, who is the "King of Cross" in the steel city? Lets start with the Steevo. Steevo is by far the most decorated of the local racers and definitely one of the most dedicated to the sport. Steevo has been making a steady rise up the elite racing ladder over the last few years and when he's not tearing my legs off in local races he's giving me advice and encouragement during our travels together which is always awesome. There are few others that could hold the crown, Gerry Pflug is a menace on course. Gunnar Shogren is cross, I mean the guy was living in New England at one point racing the McCormicks every weekend in the mud and snow. Unfortunately for him he's spends most of his time in West Virginia now so he can't be our king. Our guy is Chris Mayhew. Chris has been traveling from one muddy field to the next all over the east coast and mid west for years now. Chris is not as much  a king as he is a guru, or scholar of the sport. He has learned from some of the best and spreads the good word of cross to all who will listen. When I was still trying learn varial flips in an empty parking lot somewhere Chris was hopping barriers and railing corners long before many of us had given it a thought. Chris runs our local cross practice and helps run a few preseason clinics throughout summer and early fall, simply put the dude loves cyclocross. He is always willing to answer questions and give little tips to make your day at the races a little better. Chris is also a dedicated coach for JBV coaching. So as far as I am concerned Chris is still king and a great coach and cross nemesis.

Mission Statement?

How do I even begin, I'm like 20 years late to the bloggin' game and three quarters of the way through a cross season that is saturated with online weekend recaps. This site was created by accident in order to post a race report for the Pro Bikes website, but hey accidents are blog sites too so I'm just gonna run with it. As far as I can tell I am a pretty lucky dude. I have a VERY understanding loving wife, two turbo radical kids, a job that I like to get up in the morning for(Pro Bikes), and the best riding and racing crew of friends a guy could ask for. So where do we go from here, what is the purpose of this site going to be? At this point I'm really not sure but I know what this site will not be. I have know intention of telling you about how fast or slow I am, how insane my wattage is or how much more "epic" I am compared to others. I just hope to make my time on the interwebs a little more productive and catch a glimpse of what has been going on this fall in the burgh. So that's that, maybe I'll be updating soon or maybe not, now that this site exist perhaps I'll be motivated to share some experiences, photos,music, or whatever is getting me stoked to get out the door and live.