A Trip to the Big City-Final Installment

So, as I left off in the last post, we arrived just in time (11:58 with a start time of 12:00). We came out of the subway tunnel, and there were people coming from all different directions heading towards the Capitol steps. On our way, we stopped and had someone take a picture of us in front of the building, just to prove we were there.

After that, my dad wanted to get a picture of the crowd as a whole just to show the amount of people that showed up. He got multiple shots from different angles, but I really liked the ones he took with the Capitol in the background (see below).

The actual rally started a little after 12:00 noon, and it started with the entire crowd singing the National Anthem and saying the Pledge of Allegiance. I must say that was EXTREMELY awesome to be able to sing and pledge right at the foot of the Capitol building. We then had multiple speakers including Michelle Bachmann (the main orchestrator), Mark Levin (talk show host), Jon Voigt (Hollywood Actor), and a large contingent of the Republican Representatives. They all were inspiring, and they filled us with both anger and hope. The anger was for the way the Democrats (including the Speaker and the President) were trying to shove this legislation through the House without taking into account the fact that the majority of Americans (as polls showed at the time) didn't want this legislation. The hope was for the chance that the bill might not pass because it was going to be close for sure.

The last thing that was done at the rally was the presentation of two copies of the bill. It was so big that they had it bound in ropes just to keep it together (2000 pages is a lot of paper). They started throwing it out in huge chunks. They wanted us to each get at least a piece of the bill, and then (the coolest part) we were supposed to go across the road to our Representative's office and ask him/her about the bill. We were supposed to determine how he/she was planning to vote, and we were asked to obtain any knowledge they had about the bill.

We went across the street and after standing in line for 10 minutes realized that my dad's Representative was in the next building (not the one we were waiting in front of). So, we moved on down the trail to the next building and stood in line for almost two hours!! When we finally got into the building and through the metal detectors, we hunted down my dad's Representative's office. When we walked in my dad, being none too shy, asked to see Mr. Robert Aderholt. In keeping with the hilarity of our trip, we found out that Mr. Aderholt was actually in Cullman, AL that day (only 15 minutes from where my dad lives!!). That was an obvious dissappointment. So, we talked with his aides for a few minutes and determined that Mr. Aderholt was planning to vote "no" on the bill. Just to satisfy himself at least a little, my dad took a picture of Mr. Aderholt's empty office.

My dad, being the great orator of that day, asked the aide if there was some way we could get to Parker Griffith's office (my Rep) without having to wait in the two hour line again because it was starting to get dark. With very little hesitation, the aide told his other mates that he would be back in a few minutes. With that, we set of towards the underground tunnels that connect the buildings. That was really cool!! Also, we were able to arrive at Parker Griffith's office within five minutes only to find that he was NOT there either!!! AGH!! I checked with his aides and determined that he was also planning to vote "no"--which was a huge deal since he is a Democrat. After signing the log and speaking a little to the aides, we headed out the building to board the subway again.

Now, it should seem that this would be the end of the crazy part of the trip; however, we DID have to make the long trek back to our vehicle and ultimately back to Alabama. We got on the subway without any hitch, which was a big deal because we didn't have our helpers anymore. We were simply going it alone. We got off the final stop just like we were supposed to, and set off to get to the truck. After a slight detour (which included us going the wrong way off the subway and thinking we were lost before coming to our senses and realizing our error), we were on our way to the truck--1 mile away from the subway. We were both talking about how we were excited to get to the truck and get on the road. Most of all, we were pumped about eating supper because we hadn't ate since 9:00 that morning and it was 4:50 p.m. when we were walking to the truck. Here's where it gets crazy again:

We got back to parking lot where we left our truck and my dad said that he didn't see the truck. In my mind, I had multiple thoughts including: 1) He's joking--not funny, 2) It is possible that we were in the wrong lot--no it looked too familiar to be wrong, and finally 3) I don't see the truck either!!!!!

We went into the bank and found out that our truck had been towed. As it turns out, the bank we parked at has a man that sits in his vehicle during bank hours and calls a tow truck if anyone parks in the lot and doesn't go into the bank. When they tell us this story, I'm immediately praying for patience for my dad. We're in a town a LONG way from home and if he gets arrested for causing a scene, how can I get him out of jail--we don't have truck!! With much patience, he calls the tow company who gives him the number to another tow company who then gives him the number back to the original tow company. Yes, they have the truck, and they are about 2 miles away. Since it's getting dark, we then have to take another big-boy step to call a cab. I don't think either of us had ever been in a cab, so here we go again with another first. While we're waiting for the cab, the bank ushers us out the door because they are closing. So, my dad and I have to stand out in the cold for 10 minutes and wait on the cab to show up. If you've ever seen the movie Dutch, all I can picture is Dutch and Doyle looking pitiful--that's what we probably looked like.

After the cab arrived, we boarded and rode 2 miles which cost $10--rip off. We went in and were met with one final surprise----we had to pay the after hours fee because it was 10 minutes after 5:00 p.m. That's an extra $25!!

Anyway, after that things were pretty smooth all the way back. In the end, we were happy that we went, but when the healthcare bill passed the House, we were devastated. All that hard work, money, and effort felt like a waste. However, I'll always remember the fun, crazy, and unforgettable time my dad and I went to the big city (a.k.a. Washington, DC)!

A Trip to the Big City, Part 2

As I left off in last post, we were en route to the subway station just outside Fairfax, VA. We drove through the ground parking lot and found nothing. So, we decided to ask one of the cops that was on the scene. He told us that up around the corner, there were two parking garages and if there was no parking in the first one then try the second one.

Well, we went through EVERY level of the first and second parking garage and nothing was available. Because our time was getting short, my dad was even considering parking in a corner (not a legal parking spot) between two other cars. That wouldn't have been too bad of a deal if we were only going to be away for a few minutes, but I was afraid that someone might be mean on purpose and pull their car into the legal space just enough to where we couldn't get out. Needless to say, we couldn't find any parking at all on the subway parking premises.

At the same time, we thought that we might could find some church or other business to park at (about a mile or so away) since there was nothing else available. Much to our surprise, there was a shopping center and a bank about a mile away from the subway. So, we pulled into the bank parking lot and started getting ready for our trek to the subway station. I happened to grab a couple of packs of Now & Later candies just because I thought I might enjoy them later.

We set off on our mile hike to the subway station and along the way, we noticed that more and more people were following us. My dad, being the conversationalist that he is, asked a few of them if they were going to the protest and they were! He then asked them if they would help us get to the subway and on it since we didn't know what we were doing. Everyone we talked to was very helpful, and we met people from 3 or 4 different states just walking to the subway.

Once we made it into the subway station, we were met with a row of massive ticket machines with numbers all over them (see picture below).




Can you imagine a couple of country bumpkins like us trying to figure out how to pay for a subway ticket? I didn't even attempt to help because I was afraid I'd make matters worse. My dad ended up buying two subway tickets for $10 each, and we hoped that was enough to get us where we were going.

We then waiting for our train (orange line) to arrive and boarded. My dad was extremely loud and proud about us being from Alabama (not that I'm not), and he told everyone we came in contact with why we were there and where we were from. (perfect spot for a movie line--He's just proud of his town. You know that's a $%#& rare thing these days--John Candy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles) As it turns out, there were a couple of guys on the subway across from us that were from the same district in Alabama as my dad (they were from Gadsden). We both thought that was cool that we were 13 hours from home and we saw some fellow Alabamians. The people sitting across from us were nice enough to snap a picture of my dad and I - we were having a fun time obviously (see below).




We ended up having to ride on the subway for about 30-35 minutes and it stopped about 10 times on the route we were on. When the ride ended, we had about 3 minutes to spare before the rally was to begin.

Here's a shot of us coming out of the subway back into the light!!

I'll pick up at the rally in my next post.

A Trip to the Big City, Part 1

A few weeks ago, my dad and I decided to go to Washington DC to attend the "House Call" for the House of Representitives vote on the Healthcare bill. The following story will provide the details of our wild trip.

First of all, the "House Call" was broadcast on Foxnews and Sean Hannity's radio show on a Monday. The actual event (House Call) was to take place the following Thursday (only 3 days of notice). The event came about because Michelle Bachmann (Rep-MN) wanted to have a group of regular American folks come to the US Capitol building to protest the soon-to-be-voted-on bill.

So, although we did not receive much warning, we both were interested in going. Going to Washington DC for us was about a 12-13 hour drive, depending on traffic. We both decided on Tuesday night that we would go, and that meant we would have to leave on Wednesday afternoon around 3:00 CT (and that wasn't allowing much sleep time on Wednesday in order to arrive by the time the rally started at 12:00 ET).

However unprepared we were for the trip that was ahead of us, we set out with smiling faces and passionate hearts. We both were against the passage of the House Healthcare bill for many reasons (of which I will not discuss because the trip itself is enough to discuss), and we were excited because not only were we attending a rally, but we were also going to get to meet with our representatives face to face.

The beginning of the trip was somewhat uneventful. However, we swapped drivers just outside of Knoxville, TN and I was now in the driver's seat. I got on the interstate after filling up with gas, and we were on our way. After driving for an hour or so, I looked down at the odometer because I enjoy seeing the miles pass by when I'm on a long trip. The odometer read 117. Alright, 117 miles since the last fill up. About 5 minutes later, I looked down again--117. Again, I was happy because we had put 117 miles behind us since the last fill up. Once again, I looked at the odometer---117!! Of course, while we were on the trip, the odometer decided to fail. That was somewhat disheartening to me because then I knew we couldn't push the gas level too far towards empty because we didn't know what kind of mileage we were getting.

Anyway, I drove on listening to a different radio station every 15-20 minutes (because reception fades quickly and unexpectedly when you're driving 70 mph across the state of Virginia). We tried AM and FM, and while my dad was singing periodically, we mostly just scanned through the channels about 100 times!!

We swapped drivers one more time because my eyes were crossing, and we didn't drive much longer until my dad said he needed to stop for the "night". I put night in quotes because it was now 1:30 a.m. ET. We still had around 4-5 hours of driving to arrive in Washington DC. So, we stopped at the darkest hotel I've ever been to (except for a really obscure one in Helen, GA), but neither one of us even paid any attention to the decor, the odor, or the general condition of the hotel.

We were able to sleep from about 2:00 - 6:00 a.m. ET. This allowed us 15 minutes each to shower and get dressed to get back on the road again. Thankfully, my mom had packed us a cooler with some drinks and a bag of various snacks. Had she not packed the snacks/drinks, we probably wouldn't have ingested anything for breakfast because we were in a HUGE hurry. We got on the road around 6:30 a.m. ET, and we had to be at the Capitol building at 12:00. The first couple of hours of the ride meant time to eat and time to look up some parking areas in Washington DC. I used my myTouch phone to try and find as much detail about parking that I could, but I just didn't come up with more than one option. Since we only planned to do the trip a few days before, I hadn't had time to go out and get any specific directions or details about Washington DC.

When we got about an hour outside of DC (10:30 a.m. ET), my dad was starting to get a little frantic about where to park. We tried calling the number on the signs that is supposed to provide information, but the number has been disconnected at some point (why it was still on the sign is a mystery). So, he thought we might could park at Dulles Airport and catch a shuttle to DC. When we pulled of the Dulles exit, I informed him that Dulles was not even on the Washington DC portion of the map which meant it was around 50 miles away from DC still. So, we made a U-turn (which was not easy when 4 lanes of traffic are bearing down on us) and got back onto the interstate.

Still somewhat frantic, my dad decided to pull off at the Fairfax, VA exit to go into the Visitor's Center and see if we could get some more information. We didn't find the Visitor's Center, so he pulled into a gas station and went in. By now, it's 11:00, and that means we only have one hour to be at the steps of the Capitol. He comes back out somewhat excited because only two exits up there is a subway station that we can get on that will take us all the way to the heart of DC.

I know this is somewhat long, so I'll continue in a later post. :)

Vacation Time!!

A LITTLE SHOT OF US WITH NO OTHER PHOTOGRAPHER AVAILABLE

For Rachel's fall break, we decided once again to go to Asheville, NC. It is such a wonderful place, and the leaves are always a little ahead of ours in changing colours.

During our trip, we ran on some trails just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then, we took a drive down the BRPkwy to attempt to get to the highest point east of the Mississippi River (Mount Mitchell). However, the fog was so bad the higher up we went, that we decided against going to the top and instead went to the Devil's Courthouse.

As you can see from the picture, it was fairly high in elevation itself (Mt. Mitchell was supposedly around 6600 ft in elevation). We got to walk up to the top, and it was really awesome to be able to see from such a high point. It is amazing to think as well how God formed the mountains, and it even looks from high up that he molded them like playdough. I am always amazed at his work when I get to see it from that angle. It really helps put things into perspective.

Well, we couldn't have a vacation without something funny happening. So, Rachel and I decided while we were in Asheville to do a cross country 5K. It was ran on grass and trails, which was just what we used to do in college. Since we were running on grass, I decided to go up to the attic and get out my old cross country spikes from college. At the start line, I felt great and the shoes were extremely light (just like I remembered them). We took off, and things were going great. I was in 3rd place after just a few minutes, and I was really looking forward to finishing with a good time because the weather was great, the course was flat, and it is just fun to run on grass courses. So like said, everything was going great until about the half mile mark. I suddenly felt like I had something stuck to the bottom of my shoe. I was bummed out, but I figured it would work itself off. Well, every step it seemed to be getting worse. I felt like the bottom of my shoe was flopping, and lo and behold it WAS!! My sole of my shoe was coming off, and it only took about 20 seconds for the entire process. About 20 seconds after I thought I had something stuck to the bottom of my shoe, I no longer had a sole on my shoe at all!!! Thankfully, Nike was smart enough to attach the spike plate into a better layer on the shoe so I still had my actual spikes for traction.

US AFTER THE 5K

I went on to finish 3rd overall, and I was pleased with my effort. Rachel finished 2nd, and was just off of her season best time (only 15 sec off). We hung around after the race, and when Rach and I were doing our cooldown, I found my shoe sole. :)

All in all, it was a great trip. We came back fairly energized, although on the way back home we got a roofing nail stuck in our back car tire and had to stop at Walmart to get new tires. While in Walmart, our credit card was denied because the company thought it was being used fraudulently in Tennessee and North Carolina. However, we made it back safely, and we're looking forward to going again next year!!

Justification Finally!!

This past weekend was the 10th annual Frantic Frog (FF) Triathlon in Scottsboro, AL. I have always competed as a team at this event, but last year I decided that I would give doing the whole thing a shot this year.

It was a great day for racing: 68 degrees and overcast. We arrived at the race site plenty early (2:15 before race start), and this allowed me to do some "other" things that morning. I got to help a guy air up his tires because he didn't have a pump, I helped a couple of people set up their transition areas, and I got to talk to some folks that I don't see much anymore (shout out to--Andrew and Sarah Hodges). Something odd always happens on race day though, and this race was no exception. Just after the national anthem and prerace prayer were completed, I started walking towards the dock to prepare for the swim. Little did I know, one of man's best friends had left a little treat in the grass which I, of course, didn't see. Yep, I stepped in dog doodie. This is gross, but it squished up in between my littlest and next toes---EEEWWWW!!! I just kept walking hoping the other grass and sand would take most of it away because I didn't have time to clean it up at all. I also thought the swim might help wash it away.

Now that episode has been documented, so onward for the race details. The swim was decent for me. There were plenty of buoys on the way out, but scarcely one or two on the way back. That made it tough to see where I needed to be going. Anyway, I was somewhat pleased with my swim (7:20), and I really just wanted to minimize any time lost from the other competitors.

The bike ride was fair to decent. There was a north wind (only 5-8 mph) that just didn't let me get to the speed I wanted. I did hit my power numbers just fine, and I had one of the fastest bikes in the race (24.5 avg), but I just didn't feel like I did all that well.

When I started on the run, I saw who I thought was probably the leader about 75m ahead of me. I knew that he had started much earlier than me on the swim, so I just needed to close the distance on him in order to beat him. As a side note, I had competed in a triathlon last Monday that finally allowed me to break 18 for the 5K this year (17:33 was my time), and I had run that race a little more like I prefer (run the first mile somewhat hard, then just try to hold a good pace after that) rather than the way I've attempted to run this year (run conservative on the first mile and pick it up after that). Back to the FF run, I decided that I would run the first mile harder than I had been running the first mile in my other triathlons this season--all the while trying to catch up to the guy ahead of me. I ended up finishing only 5-10 seconds behind him, and I knew that I had beat him because of when he started. The exciting and yet somewhat maddening truth was that I had run 18:01! If I would have pushed just a tad harder, I could've broken 18 minutes in a triathlon (which I've never done). Anyway, I found out about 30 minutes later that I DID win the race overall!! That's only my second win ever, and this was a much bigger triathlon to do it at than my other win (600 competitors at the FF). So, as the title of this posts says, I have finally received some justification for the work I've put in this year. I am so thankful for the win, and I hope it's not the end for me. My next race will be a 5K in Winfield, AL (Mule Day 5K), and my season will wrap up with the Heel and Crank Duathlon in Huntsville, AL. I'm looking forward to both of those as opportunities to do well!!!

Age Group Nationals

Last Saturday, Tuscaloosa, AL hosted the USAT Age Group Nationals. This was the national championship triathlon for age group athletes that had qualified (based on the qualification standards provided by USAT). Overall, the event was good, but not every part of it. Here we go...

On Friday, my brother-in-law and I took off of work to go down to Tuscaloosa and pick up my packet, drive the race course (both bike and run), and to drop off my bike for the night---this was hard to do knowing it would rain overnight. I had a rules meeting just after the packet pickup that I had to attend. The officials really make you nervous talking about all the things you can't do, even though you don't normally do them anyway. Needless to say, it was an interesting experience.

On Saturday, the transition area was to be closed by 7:00 so the waves of racers could start. I arrived at 6:00 or so that morning, and I was nervous!!! I felt like the Hickory High basketball team from Hoosiers when they went up to the big gym to play the high school championship. Everyone looked in great shape, focused, and somewhat intimidating. I layed out my transition area, then headed for the usual bathroom stop(s) and I wanted to get my sunscreen on as well. My family arrived about this time which included my family, Rachel's family, and one of our friends. That was a reassuring sight seeing all them. They were all trying to pump me up and remind me that I DID belong here. I ended up getting everything ready and warming up a bit before heading down to the swim start.

7:51 the gun went off, and my wave of Men 25-29 took off (1500m swim). The next 41 minutes would be one of the most awful athletic experiences I've ever had. I seemed to stay with the group for the first part, but once we made the turn for the long 1000m straightaway, I lost them. Also, I didn't feel like I was moving, and the sun was HORRIBLE. I couldn't see a thing in front of me, and it took forever to see the first buoy. On a side note, I had started a 10 minute timer just prior to the swim as a reminder to drink on the bike. I expected to hear the timer two times during the swim which would mean that I swam betweeen 20 and 30 minutes (which was my expectation). I heard the timer go off for the second time just past the first buoy on the long straightaway. This was a BAD sign. I ended up getting passed by the faster swimmers from the next two waves after mine--including one swimmer who must have thought I was a stick in the water because he swam right over the top of me. Yes, OVER THE TOP OF ME!! When I finally exited the swim, I looked down and saw 41 minutes on my stopwatch and my heart sank. I knew I had no chance of placing in the top 10, 20, or 50 for that matter in my age group.

I got to the transition area with my family cheering me the whole way, I got ready and took off for my bike ride (40k). The bike went fairly well. I kept a close watch on my power meter and kept my wattage fairly regulated. Every time my timer went off, I drank or consumed gel. I passed a ton of people on the bike ride, but I was passed by two guys as well. I did everything in my power to stay away from other riders so as not to get penalized by the officials. I ended up riding in just under an hour which was a 25 mph average. That was more like it now!

I again returned to the transition with my family in the background (less of them now). I had opted to not wear socks on the 10k run which I would later learn was a mistake. I took off and for about 4 minutes I felt good. After that first 4 minutes, I started to feel hungry, thirsty, and I had a horrible side stitch. I had set a goal to run around 6:00-6:10 pace for the entire run and see if I could go faster towards the end. Just after the first mile mark there was a significant hill that really compounded my side stitch problem. However, I did have two family members in the middle of the hill cheering me on, and to my surprise, my dad was at the top of the hill. He was being calm trying to talk me through my side stitch (which I think was caused by being in the TT position on the bike for longer than usual). Two more hills were on the course, and each one was extremely tough (although the second hill had my wife and my brother cheering for me). By this time, I had readjusted my goal to be 7:00 pace for the run. I was drinking gatorade and water at every aid station, and I poured water on me to keep me cool because the humidity was MUCH worse than the weatherman said it would be. Also, as previously mentioned, I didn't wear socks, and by mile three, I could feel a blister coming on. Within the final mile, I knew I was bleeding because it had passed the blister pain and was going numb which meant I'd broke through the skin. I finally got rid of the side stitch by mile 4, but by then I could not get out of 7:00 pace. I crossed the line, and I was not very happy. I was hot, my feet were hurting, and there was a strong smell of mexican food under the tent I had to pass through. I LOVE mexican food, but after racing for 2 hours and 27 minutes, I didn't want anything to do with mexican food.

I found my family after the race, and I was SO glad they came. I needed someone to vent to and obtain reassurance from. I HAD only decided to do this race two months before, but I just felt that I had put in a lot of work and the swim killed it all. I just assumed I was a terrible swimmer. I later found out (that night) that the Tuscaloosa dam had been opened on Saturday morning two different times to allow some of the rain water from the night before to escape. So that means I was swimming AGAINST THE CURRENT for 1000m. That was a PERFECT explanation for why I was so slow. It helped me to let up on myself some, but I'm still not a good swimmer. The real good swimmers only lost 5 minutes or so, but those of us mediocre swimmers lost 15-20 minutes.

I ended up 56th in my age group which was a long way from my original goal. If I have the chance to do the race next year, I will check on the swim before signing up. If USAT hasn't made a correction to the course, I may not do it again. There you have it, me at Nationals getting my butt kicked!!

State Championship Weekend

The Alabama State Championship weekend had lots of promise. There was a road race (40 miles) in New Hope on Saturday morning, a hill climbing time trial on Saturday afternoon (4 miles total with 1 mile of climbing), and a downtown Huntsville criterium on Sunday morning (30 minutes). I had driven the course for the two Saturday races prior to showing up on race day, and I found a couple of places that would allow an attack; however, the places I selected (two separate short, steep hills) weren't great, but I didn't see any other areas for attacking.

So, on Saturday morning we (Barrett, my brother-in-law Scott, and myself) arrived at the race course, completed a warmup, completed bathroom stops, and got to the starting line early so we could start up front. Once the riders were allowed on the starting line, we noticed that there were around 50 riders which was not a good sign. We had a one mile neutral zone where no one can attack and the pace is supposed to be somewhat controlled. Well, I was around 5th right at the start of the race, but during the "neutral" rollout I lost about 10-12 spots. If anyone has ever seen the movie Office Space, I looked just like Peter at the beginning in traffic---no matter what lane I chose, the traffic quit moving. So, I just hung around in the back for the first 20 mile loop mostly because I wanted to get a drink from Rachel at the feed zone. As soon as I got through the feed zone, I tried to make my way forward to plan for an attack. Big mistake. I could never make up any ground except when we went around a turn, and even then it was only one spot at a time. So, my plan of attacking on the last steep hill was looking tough, and as it turned out, I couldn't get myself to the front. The furthest forward I got was about in the 5th row from the front. We couldn't pass in the left lane, and we were already riding three across in the lane which equals NO PASSING! My attacking point came and went and I couldn't do anything because I was boxed in. With about 2 miles to go I here horrible yells and brakes and scraping sounds and of course there is a wreck on the FRONT ROW!!! The rider in front of me rode his back wheel across my front wheel which ALWAYS leads to the rear riding going down--and I did. I curled into the fetal position to keep from getting ran over by the other 20 rides behind me. Once all the danger had passed, I realized the Barrett had went down as well and his bike was unrideable due to the rear wheel being horribly bent (similar to a wheel that I ran over with my truck one time). My bike on the other hand was fine except for one of the brake hoods being bent in. Yes, I did check myself as well for injuries (and Barrett). All I got was road rash which does suck, but it isn't the worst thing---especially considering some folks left with broken bones. So, I was able to limp into the finish for a 34th place finish. So much for my plan on the road race. Below is a picture of me limping to the finish with blood on my right arm and leg.




The next event was the hill climbing time trial. Prior to starting it, I had went to Subway for lunch, went to the bike shop to have my bike checked on, and went to the store to purchase medical supplies to cover my road rash. So, as you can guess, I had no idea how the hill climbing time trial would go considering I had wrecked just 3-4 hours earlier. The course was mostly flat for the first 2.8 miles, but kicked up sharply afterwards for a 1 mile climb averaging 10% (max 13% grade). I rode my Specialized road bike instead of my TT bike simply due to the hill climb. I thought I would rather have the climbing-friendly gearing of my road bike rather than the TT bike. The starter set us off in 30 second increments, and I immediately got into the most aerodynamic position I could on my road bike (with no aero bars). I made the turn onto the hill and it got tough quickly! I sat down for most of the hill until the top (which is where my family was to take the picture included below), and then I gave everything I had on the final 100m flat section at the top (which was all of 15 mph). I didn't know how I did compared to everyone else in my category until the next morning. I won by about 8 seconds!!! That was sweet redemption after the way the road race went.




Approximately 15 hours, 1 ice bath, 2 peroxide washes, 2 bandage applications, and 8 hours of sleep later we arrived in downtown Huntsville for the criterium. It was an interesting "L-shaped" course with five right turns and one left turn. I had already made up my mind (along with my teammates) that I was staying towards the front today. I had also made up my mind the night before that if I wrecked during the criterium that I was not going to do any more mass start road races. I just can't enjoy them if I'm wrecking all the time. Anyway, the starter set us off, and we (teammates) along with a guy we know from Birmingham (Andrew Boyd) all went to the front to get to safety and push the pace. After a few laps the pace settled somewhat and there were attempts to breakaway in the first 15 minutes or so but they were caught (mostly by me and my teammates). I must admit that I did pull quite a lot during the criterium, but I never tried to put myself into serious difficulty. I wanted to be able to through everything I had into the final lap or two. With about 10 minutes to go, Barrett pulled up to the front and blocked the wind for me for about a lap or so, and that was really what I needed to rest up. With 4 laps to go Andrew attacked along with another rider. The group just let them dangle out there for two laps, and the second attacker fell back into the group. With one lap to go, I surged hard right on the start/finish line to go after Andrew. By the time I reached him at the second corner, he said he was toast. I looked at him, and he didn't look like he had anything left. So, I knew it was mine to win or lose. I pushed the pace as much as I could into every corner, and when the final corner and hill came, I jumped up and put everything I could into the pedals. I never looked back, and I was able to hold everyone off for the win (see picture below). It wasn't until later that I found out that Barrett had a flat with 2 laps to go, and that's why he was nowhere in sight.




In hindsight, I could've fought harder for a spot during the road race, but finishing first in two events was pretty satisfying--also, for this year I am the Alabama State Criterium Champion for Cat 5. I'm pleased with this considering I've only raced about 5-7 times in mass start races. I must give glory to the Lord for keeping me from breaking any bones, giving me the ability to mash on the pedals, and for giving me such a great family for coming and supporting me!!!

Cycling Camp

Here's a picture from our cycling camp in Asheville, NC.

I went to cycling camp with my youngest brother (Barrett), my brother-in-law (Scott, aka Scooter, aka Scoot-dog, etc.), and my father-in-law (Wayne). The cycling camp that we attended was put on by Carmichael Training Systems. It was a blast!! We got nicknamed the Alabama Horsemen during camp which was cool.

All in all, the camp was manageable, but there were definitely some things that I didn't know (and now need to work on). I thoroughly enjoyed the drills section of the camp which included riding in a grass field and pushing each other, picking up bottles from the ground while riding by, and attempting to just stop on our bikes without falling off (very tough!).

We did a field test the first day just so the coaches could see where we stood compared to each other. I was pleased with my output (351 watts avg for 2.7 miles--uphill of course), and the rest of the crew was pleased with theirs as well. We then worked on drafting, cornering, and various other skills that are important on the road.

I strongly encourage any riders to go to a CTS camp--we were treated like pro cyclists the entire time. We had bottles at all times, mechanical support, and LUNCH!!

Sunny King Criterium

Well, my first criterium was VERY interesting. First of all, God sure must of wanted it to be a challenge for me because it was raining intensly prior to and during the race. So, that added another thing to drive up my blood pressure (besides the fact that I'd never done a criterium before).

The race started much differently than I expected---FAST!! When the gun went off, the front guys took off so fast that I was left off the back of the group. I found some other guys in the same predicament that I was in, so we worked together drafting back up. The only problem was, these guys weren't gaining ground fast enough. If someone would've went off the front at that point, I would've been in huge trouble. My brother, Barrett, was about 2-3 guys in front of me during the opening five laps or so. Eventually, I noted that he had made it back to the front group, and I was only about 3-4 seconds behind them. At this point, I'm wondering how in the world I'll ever have a chance in this race.

So, I set my goal to move up one place every lap. I would draft on a guy up until the last turn, then I'd go around him and move up to the next guy. Eventually, I found myself in the lead group, albeit at the back. This went on for a couple of laps (15 minutes of time had elapsed already), and I was noticing that on the front stretch I would gain ground easily because it was a slight uphill. This is where I figured I'd have to make my move because the other side of the course was downhill, and it would be scary to go into a turn at 30+ mph.

So, with 8 laps to go, I moved up on the outside of the group just past the start/finish line and went into the first turn and poured on the gas. My HR skyrocketed, and I didn't look back until the third turn on the course and I didn't see anyone right on me. At that point, 8 laps was a long way to go solo, but I don't have the sprint speed to stay in the group. Also, I didn't see Barrett anywhere, so I decided to keep the pedal down and go for it. Each lap that passed, the announcer (Frankie Andreau--former US Postal rider and commentator for Versus cycling coverage) would say lets hear it for our solo leader. That was inspirational I must say, but I owe a ton of gratitude to Barrett. He really held the group up by playing around with small sprints, etc. I put in hard work, but I think his help sealed the deal for me.

Now, you'll probably think by now that everything went smooth and I won. Well, with two laps to go, I went into the first turn and my rear wheel JUMPED to the side, and I almost went down. That really got me nervous, and to add to my nervousness my rear wheel seemed to be fishtailing. I didn't know what was going on, but I had to take the turns way slower than I had all race. I was afraid the guys would catch me because I was slowing down so bad. Thankfully, everything held together, and I did win the race. Afterwards, I got interviewed by Frankie Andreau (which was a cool and very nervous moment) over the loudspeaker. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I asked a mechanic to take a look at my bike that we found I had broken a spoke (and it was completely missing from the wheel). I am so thankful that it happened when it did, because I couldn't have ridden long like that with the brakes rubbing on the wheel!!

I am including a picture of my interview with Frankie.

Racing, Swine Flu, etc.

I haven't yet written about my first cycling race which was 3 weeks ago mainly because I was waiting on pictures to include on my page as well. Well, without further ado, above is my picture from the race. There are no other people in the picture, but that's because--I WON!! It was an exciting race to say the least. I spent the first two laps riding in the back and adjusting to riding in a big group of people. After we finished the third lap, I tried to break away, but when I looked over my shoulder, there was a big group right behind me, so I backed off the pace.

My brother, Barrett, had also tried to break away during the third lap, but he was also brought back. He and I were talking on the next to last lap, and I told him I wanted to go one more time. The place I thought would be good was too far from the finish though. So, Barrett told me where he thought would be a good place to go for it, and when we got there, I had to ride on a concrete banking surface because everyone was jockeying for position. I noticed that one guy had already took off from the group about a 1/2 mile from the finish. I looked around and noticed that no one was going for him, so I took off (precisely in the spot that Barrett had suggested). This turned out to be a brilliant move because I was slowly gaining on the leader with each passing second. When I looked over my shoulder, the peleton was crazy with guys going all over the place trying to prepare for the final sprint. I realized that no one was right behind me and that I was catching the leader at a pace that would put me ahead of him just before the line. As it turns out, I did get in front of the guy who had went early, but I was ALMOST caught by another guy sprinting his guts out!

When the race finished, I wasn't even sure it was over because no one said anything for a minute or so. After a few minutes a guy rode up and asked if I won the race, and I told him I guessed I did, but I wasn't sure. Turns out, I did win, but if the finish had been 25 feet more, I probably would have lost to the sprinter.

On another note, Barrett got pinned in behind some folks, and while he did get to show some of his sprint speed, it was only enough for 7th place because some of the people in front of him were not pinned in coming to the final turn.

We were both pleased with the race in general. Obviously, I was happy with where I finished, but Barrett said he thought he could've done more. Well, he has his chance this weekend at the Sunny King Criterium. We'll both be competing again, then.

As for the swine flu, my wife (Rachel) is off of school for the next two days because her school system is shut down due to two kids testing positive for it here in Madison. Is it just me though, or is the media hyping this up terribly bad?

One everyone should see

This past weekend I watched a movie called Taking Chance. It was a very interesting movie, and it will definitely stir up emotions. I am placing a link here so that anyone that hasn't seen it can read about it. (http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/) I think all Americans should see this movie because it really lets us know the sacrifices that are being made, and that any soldier that dies overseas is taken care of all the way to the grave.

There are a lot of Tea Party's this week throughout the U.S., and this is a great peaceful opportunity to go out and show that the people still have the power in this country. If we let the government make all of our decisions (as they're trying to do now), then we are doomed to become a Socialist and Communist-type nation. Is that what we really want? I don't think that's what our country's founders were all about either.

Headline: Sickness runs through Eubanks'

Rachel (my wife) and my dad are both battling with sicknesses. Rachel was sick all last week, and even took a day or two off of work (that's serious for her). My dad has been sick for the same amount of time, and he isn't mending quite as quickly as Rachel. I have been thankful to dodge this sickness since I have my very first cycling race this weekend. I'm extremely nervous about it, and I need to be in peak condition both athletically and overall healthwise. The race I'm doing is the Ride to Live circuit race at Barber Motorsports park on Saturday morning. I'm in the lowest category (cat. 5), and the race is on at 7:30 a.m.

Until then, I'll keep taking care of Rachel and checking on my dad. Peace out all!!

First triathlon of the season--success

On Sunday, we traveled to Oxford, MS to compete in the Rebelman Triathlon. The weather was awful but not the worst possible. It was windy (20-25 mph) and cold (43 degrees), so doing well depended on whether or not the athletes could handle the conditions thrown at them. My swim was pretty good (for me at least) at 7:03 for 400m, my bike was not what I wanted but was the fastest bike split in the race at 22 mph, and my run was 20:22---which was great considering I'd only ran 3 miles so far in 2009 prior to this race. I ended up coming in 4th overall and first in my age group, so it was definitely a success.

The two athletes I coach (Rachel, my wife and Sarah, her sister) both had solid performances as well. Rachel placed just as I did 4th overall and 1st in her age group, and Sarah placed 9th overall and 2nd behind Rachel in the same age group. So, I was very pleased with how the both did--a big improvement from past years at this point in the season.

So, the first one is behind us, and we have many more to go this year. Our next race will be on April 18th in Scottboro, AL at the Frank Maples Triathlon. At the same time, my next race with my brother Barrett will be the Race to Live at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL. I am definitely nervous about this race because it will be my first cycling race ever!!!

Time for a first

I received a call last night from a spin instructor who needs me to fill in for her on Thursday. So, it begins!! I am nervous because I want to teach a good challenging, smart, and exciting class. I have a lot of knowledge about the types of workouts that can be done, and I just hope that the attendees have patience with me. I'm preparing two different CD's so that I'll hopefully avoid the dreaded lock-up of the CD player. It would be pretty dang rough having to teach class with no music!

At the same time, we have our first triathlon of the season at Ole Miss this coming Sunday. I hope to have a good race, but Sunday races aren't my favorite. I miss having a whole day of rest afterwards. Oh well, I hope the Lent season is going good for all. Easter's a comin'!!

Rough week

As you may have noticed, I did not post anything last week. That was due to an awful stomach virus that lasted three days and sent me to the doctor for an IV of fluids as well. Prior to last week, I hadn't thrown up in 10 years. Oh well, I guess I am starting a new streak. (sorry if that's gross)

Prior to last week's sickness, my family went to see the Ringling Bros. Circus, and it was great. We thoroughly enjoyed the animals and the acrobatic-type trickery that went on. We almost didn't make it to the circus because of snow!! Yes, snow in Alabama (see picture above). We woke up on Sunday morning to a nice scenery, and now it's going to be 80 degrees today. Oh well, that's just the way it is around here.

On a side note, I am competing in my second race of the year this weekend. I'm teaming up with someone to do a duathlon in Tuscaloosa, AL. It's supposed to be raining on Saturday, so I'm not sure what to expect as of right now, but anything's better than last year's race at this location. It was 29 and snowing.

Fat Tuesday is upon us

Well today is the last day for all those participating in Lent to enjoy whatever it is you plan to sacrifice. I plan to sacrifice desserts (obviously a big whoop compared to what Christ did for me) and to read a book given to me by a friend. I really hope to take the 40 days of Lent and get closer to God by sacrificing something that shouldn't be a big deal (but it is)--both the sugary treats and my time.

I plan to have lots of chocolate chip cookies tonight (truth be told, I ate 3 for breakfast and 4 at lunch)!!

Spin Instructing

I attended a Spinning Orientation this past weekend because I'm looking to become an indoor cycling instructor. I really enjoyed it (other than sitting on a hardwood floor for 3 hours). I hope that I can start sometime soon while the inner fires are burning brightly. I do have confidence in myself, but I know there are some tough things to deal with when being an indoor cycling instructor (i.e. workout types, music selections, etc.). I know I won't be the best right off, but I do hope that I can challenge my class and help them to improve their fitness. Oh, by the way, I will be performing different workouts each class. I've attended some classes that do the same workouts every single time. That's cool if you only hit the class once a month or so, but once or twice a week--UGH!!!

Just a Sunday afternoon in Toney, AL

On Sunday, Rachel, Barrett and myself (see picture) competed in the Toney Time Trial in Toney, AL. It was very windy, but we all did fairly well (https://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2009-209). I averaged 23.4, Barrett 22.4, and Rachel 20.4. I don't know what the deal was with the ".4", but we all had it. This was our first foray into the cycling community here in Huntsville. We were a tad out of place, but only because we didn't know anyone. We're used to going to triathlons and being the ones with all the knowledge about what to do, but Sunday was a totally different story. I had to get help from someone on how to put on the race number because it goes on your back on the right side. That's way different from the stomach--which is where I'm used to putting a race number. Anyway, we had fun, we did well, and I'm kicking myself for not bringing my time trial bike--I thought it's dimensions were illegal, but apparently that only counts in "Nationals" type events.

CPR Dummies

Today I got certified for the first time for Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). I am hoping to become a spin class instructor, and in order to become one I have to be certified to teach spin classes and certified in CPR. I'm half way there after pushing, breathing, and heimliching the dummies. Dummies are fun and easy to work with, but they are set up to help with CPR unlike humans. While I do now feel confident in my abilities related to CPR, I hope that I never have to use them on anyone. However, should the need arise, I will be ready now. It had been since high school that I did anything with CPR, and I'm glad I'm up to date now.

On an unrelated note, my brother (Barrett) took a picture of me while we were riding yesterday and I thought it would be cool to share. That's the reason for the picture above. :-)

Spring is here???

Today it was 70 degrees around here, and that is a shock considering the weather we've had lately. Every bike ride I've done over the past three weeks has been extremely cold. It's been so cold that I haven't even enjoyed a few of them. However, riding on the trainer day after day is just as bad. I guess I should just be thankful that we had a nice day today, and that I can get on a bike and ride it.

As an update, my knee is doing fairly well. It is pretty strong (even compared to pre-surgery), but it has bothered me a time or two. I'm trying to keep building my strength, stretching enough, and icing a couple times a day. On the plus side, I've been doing lots of swimming, and I've actually enjoyed it!!! That is something I never thought I'd say.

Monte Sano

I love Monte Sano mountain here in Huntsville. Today, my brother (Barrett) and I climbed it for the first time this year (his first time ever). It was so much fun to be able to ride up the side of the mountain and look out over the edge and see the world from a true 'bird's eye' view (see picture above). Although it was a bit cold on the way down the mountain, the trip up was a ton of fun. It was also a confidence builder because I haven't done the Monte Sano climb since last year, so I'm definitely getting some confidence in my cycling right now. I look forward to climbing the other mountains in the Huntsville area over the next few weeks.

Rachel and I are contemplating buying some land in Morgan County right now. I don't know if it will work out or not, but we're excited about it.

Cycling and lots of it!!

Wow, what a week for me. As I've detailed in the recent months, I had knee surgery in October. Therefore, I didn't really get an opportunity to start riding my bike until around November 10th or so. I have steadily been ramping up my riding since then, and last week I got in 260 miles of riding (of course I was on vacation at the beach). I took it easy for the most part and just tried to get in a lot of miles. I was pleased with the outcome--including the status of my knees. I am back swimming this week--YIKES!! The swimming is going to take longer than the cycling just because I'm not as good at it.

On another note, I have dedicated to reading each night for 15 minutes or so. I don't normally enjoy reading, but I NEED to do it. I know other people with fantastic vocabularies (including my dad and brothers), and I think part of it comes from reading. I'm currently reading a John Grisham book, The Rainmaker. It's interesting so far (only 400 more pages to go). :)