Monday, November 12, 2012
Tour de Gruene 2012
Caryn and I finished 3rd in the mixed team time trial at the Tour de Gruene. We averaged 22+ MPH but Caryn's asthma attack caused us to go a least a mile
slower than we expected. The course is undulating with one big hill, knowing the course would have been a plus, we just couldn't make it to the course to reconoiter it before hand. The course is beautiful as it starts near Gruene Hall, a classic honky tonk with a rich heritage. Most of the first half of the race follows River Road toward Canyon Lake, then returns to Gruene along a state highway. The start and finish areas are tight, causing a few wrecks due to gravel and tight turns, and traffic on the highway is something you have to deal with since the shoulder is chip seal. A headwind on River Road made for a tough start to the race, but after the hill the tailwind had us going 35+ most of the way in.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
The 2012 year started with such high hopes
I can't deny that I'm disappointed in what has happened this year. A few new students who were very interested have been lured in to triathlon. Glad the the tri club is doing better, unhappy that the pain and suffering that is road cycling has scared some away. One of our team from last year transferred to Appy State and has been racing for them and I can't deny that Houston was disappointed he was a lone voice for the road. I was also saddened that Jeff didn't even try to do a few races at the SCCCC events to qualify for Nationals. I will bet he will see that as a mistake in a few years.
The TCU, SMU, UNT race that TCU was the lead school on was derailed due to their school being very reluctant to sign off on bike races. One reason we never asked for permission to do our races (other than going through the governing body, USA Cycling.
Without student support here, I couldn't ask our non racing cyclists to work another event like the race we did in 2009.
We do have an impressive alumni network right now, with Nicky and Frank racing for Oklahoma's DNA Racing, Jeff and Caryn racing for Think!Finance in Fort Worth, but we lost our first year student Houston, to a combination of homesickness and indifferent fellow roadies who were lured to tri. As Nicky so succinctly pointed out, the road is where you will get fast on a bike, and tri's are won on the bike, so the best training is out on the road.
I have seen improvenment in my TT's due to racing. You just don't know how fast you can go and for as long without having to bridge a gap or try to do an escape. Road racing is an tactical challenge on top of the physical effort, where in tri's, it seem to be a question of dialing in nutrition and training for game day results.
I'm not attempting to demean triathlons, I'm just disappointed that this year's crop of students chose tri's over the road. I should be satisfied that there are out doing something.
The TCU, SMU, UNT race that TCU was the lead school on was derailed due to their school being very reluctant to sign off on bike races. One reason we never asked for permission to do our races (other than going through the governing body, USA Cycling.
Without student support here, I couldn't ask our non racing cyclists to work another event like the race we did in 2009.
We do have an impressive alumni network right now, with Nicky and Frank racing for Oklahoma's DNA Racing, Jeff and Caryn racing for Think!Finance in Fort Worth, but we lost our first year student Houston, to a combination of homesickness and indifferent fellow roadies who were lured to tri. As Nicky so succinctly pointed out, the road is where you will get fast on a bike, and tri's are won on the bike, so the best training is out on the road.
I have seen improvenment in my TT's due to racing. You just don't know how fast you can go and for as long without having to bridge a gap or try to do an escape. Road racing is an tactical challenge on top of the physical effort, where in tri's, it seem to be a question of dialing in nutrition and training for game day results.
I'm not attempting to demean triathlons, I'm just disappointed that this year's crop of students chose tri's over the road. I should be satisfied that there are out doing something.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Mineral Wells stage race
1st year student Houston got his season underway, finishing a respectable 25th in GC for the weekend at a miserable and rainy event. His best finish was 21st in the crit and 23 in the TT (which includes some notable TT'ers who refuse to cat up) Good start to the season.
Alumnus Frank Cusimano also had a respectable weekend in the 3's, finishing mid' 20s on GC, racing with DNA Racing out of Oklahoma.
Alumnus Frank Cusimano also had a respectable weekend in the 3's, finishing mid' 20s on GC, racing with DNA Racing out of Oklahoma.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
SMU kit will arrive Friday 2/10/2012
The reprints of last years kit will arrive in time to send Houston, Spencer, Adam, Sara et al to the 1st conference race in March, and they will look splendid. Check out our sponsors Bicycles Plus in Snider Plaza and De Boulle Diamond and Jewelry store on Preston Road.
We are starting to ask, during this SMU Unbridled Centennial Campaign, that you make a donation to fund S1011 and earmark it for SMU Cycling. I have made a monthly donation and I ask others to do it too. No other contribution will make as much an impact on an SMU organization as your gift.
We are starting to ask, during this SMU Unbridled Centennial Campaign, that you make a donation to fund S1011 and earmark it for SMU Cycling. I have made a monthly donation and I ask others to do it too. No other contribution will make as much an impact on an SMU organization as your gift.
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