Our old friend the interval

At the end of racing, from March to August, I was toast. Come September I hardly touched my bike, save for the once or twice-a-week easy ride, which may not have been such a bad thing. Between classes starting back up, David and I working our asses off to get the KU Club off to a good start, and a myriad of technical difficulties with my bikes, it all worked out. Now I've got two bikes, an early 80's steel frame/down tube shift Bianchi commuter and a 2008 Colavita/Sutter Home SL pro frame.. not too shabby. In the words of The Lonely Island crew, during my first ride on the SL I almost ... in my pants. The thing seemed to hum with power, simply riding it you could feel the craftsmanship that goes into a pro level frame. Coming in at a respectable 15 lbs., light, and stiff, it is a sweet ride. Married with Ritchey components and Sram gruppo it is definitely the best bike I've ever had.

If you were to ask anyone who is around me on a daily basis, they would all tell you the same thing, "his life is the KU club." It's true. I have been working with David since the beginning of the semester to literally build the club from the ground up. We've been working on a new constitution, new team logo, new sponsorship program, new officer structure, new club structure, new team structure, new event structure, new-member recruitment, a new advertising campaign.. the list goes on. In short we have taken the club from a club of 4 members with no culture or future prospects to a vibrant organization of 20 members, 6 officers, and a culture that is, simply put, "work hard, play hard, and have fun." David and I have had conversations where we tried to figure out how its all come together, having this success can only be the product of real, honest, hard work and the true intention to do something right. Better things are sure to come from KU cycling in the coming seasons.

But what about our old friend the interval? He's back. Our club meets Sunday and Wednesday nights for spin session in the sport club training room at the rec facility.. and what's on the menu those nights? You guessed it, intervals. It's early in the training season, mind you, so we're not killing it.. yet. Already David has taught a killer spin session that included one leg drills and 8-minute intervals, definitely one of my sweatiest training sessions. So far I've taught three spin sessions, a 1:1 3-minute intervals session of 12 reps , a 2 hour spin, and a 12 reps 3min-3osec descending intervals session. It's pretty awesome to pass on the love of cycling in all its forms, and to see the exhausted, but happy faces of my students after each session is the best. Not a single person has come to a spin session and regretted it, most, however; have thanked me after class was over for a good butt whippin'. That's really special, working with a group of passionate individuals that are willing to do the nitty gritty and get down to business, they'll definitely reap the rewards come spring.

Last Wednesday's spin class in the middle of descending intervals, they were feeling it.

The off season's over

This last season has been a very fruitful one for me. Collegiate North-Central B-cat road/crit champ, Kansas cat-3 road champ runner-up, second in the Missouri State cat-3 road champs, a top five finish in the cat-4 Joe Martin Stage Race, and a host of cat-5, 4, and 3 wins and podium finishes; all in my first season of racing. I know that I have been very fortunate to be a part of the KU Cycling and Team Colavita/Parisi Coffee teams. I have raced next to some of the best examples of class-act and character, in that of my teammates. I owe much of my success to them, and the support they've given me.

Ultimately, as every racer knows, their fate is in their own hands. The lonely miles put in on the road alone, the grueling hours spent during interval sessions, all the things that must be done when no one is watching. They're thankless, so why do we do it? Because they are the prerequisites to greatness come spring. It is truly the things you do when no one is watching that make a champion.

The off season's over.