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I haven't posted much about racing lately, even though this blog is about bike racing AND baby raising. It has been mostly baby.

Last night I did the training race at Wompatuck State Forest. It is a New England staple. It was also 33 miles from our house and they weren't easy miles. We either were beating each other up with a high pace or riding on terrible roads with everyone commuting home in their individual cars. I always think of The Dave Matthews Band song Ants Marching when I see everyone stuck in traffic alone in their cars.

I was happy to have company for the ride. I had no idea how to get there, so they were quite helpful and they provided good company. I met a couple of new people and reconnected with a couple of people I raced collegiates against.

The race was super fast. It wound through the forest, filled with bugs and grime. I hadn't ridden hard at all for 10 days and my body showed it. I gave some good efforts and in the end didn't place but had a great workout. I saw my maximum heart rate for the last 6 years. I kept my heart rate at what I thought was my maximum for two entire laps trying to bridge. But after the race we had to ride back to Quincy (which they pronounce Quinzey) to catch the train home. And then ride home from the train in Cambridge. It was not epic, but it was a mission.

I have a couple of interesting cycling tidbits not completely related to me. Here's an article on Pez Cycling News about a guy racing for the team I raced for in Belgium. He's doing really well. A guy that was there last year with me is in one of the pictures and so are some of the support staff.

Cervelo made a really great documentary series about their professional team that they started this year. They are really well done and I think you may enjoy watching even if you're not a cycling fan.

This year I haven't seen so many pictures of me racing. There was a proffesional photographer at Fitchburg, and while I can't put the photos on the blog, I can link them here:
Before I snapped my chain in the crit.
Suffering in more ways than one on a pit bike.
The end of the time trial.
I really felt like I looked in this shot of the time trial.

And because everyone just comes to see Niv, here he is:

Maybe I can suck your blood next?