Best of 2006

Last year I created my best of 2005 series which was more reminiscing than anything, but it was fun so without further ado, here is my best of the 2006 season…..

Teammates: You learn about your teammates when you spend so much time with them. Forget about CSC’s survival training camp….StarkVelo has Boone! Nothing builds camaraderie like a little suffering on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a little dinner at the ole’ Golden Corral. By the way, never eat at the Golden Corral. Stark Velo is made up of some great individuals. Everyone is selfless and I have learned that I have made some very good friends by simply riding my bike. I am so looking to next year’s trip. Is it April yet?

Best Race. While working to protect team leaders Carl Peshoff and Mike Schiltz, I was able to snag my best result of the season during the first road race of the Summer Solstice stage race.

Worst Race Experience, Part I: My worst experience while in a team kit was at the same race I mentioned above. Here I was witness to a talented racer named Bret Neylon seriously injure himself in the Cat 3 finish. Seeing an accident like that tends to make you think about whether this is really worth it or not.

Worst Race Experience, Part II: The Summer Solstice Stage Race. Ok, so it seems sort of contradictory that I list this as my best and worst race. The races were fine, except for the Friday evening Crit, it was just the organization, or lack thereof that made it a horrible experience. I said this in a previous post but although I congratulate them on their enthusiasm, I have to criticize them on their ability to successfully pull this off. Next year, please do some more planning and get some more help to pull this off. A team of two or three people obviously doesn’t work.

Miles: I rode 5,274 miles this year. Not bad considering I essentially stopped riding in mid August with the birth of my second son, William.

Best Investment, Part I: I’d say working with Charles Howe to set up a structured training plan this year. With the purchase of a Power Tap last fall, I wanted help figuring this thing out. Working with a coach or consultant was sort of like getting the cliff notes to “The Grapes of Wrath.” Cliff Notes are a nice way to get an easy and quick understanding of a big concept. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still reading the novel, but for me the novel is a lot easier to digest when you have an understanding of the concepts described within.

Best Investment, Part II: Cervelo. Need I say more?

Goals: My big goal for next year is to upgrade to Cat III sometime during the later part of the season. This is fairly lofty considering my lack of intense riding these past few months. This will be the comeback of the century!

brian