Still counting

     From one cyclist family to another we hope you had a Very Merry Christmas!
Our countdown to CX Nats continues......Officially 14 days!


If you get a chance check out my blog featured on a really cool new online magazine that focuses on Junior Development and Cycling!


http://magazine.juniorcyclist.com


Stay tuned for the Road to Nationals updates!~

Road to Cyclocross Nationals

    Our local Cyclocross Season has sadly came to an end. Its kind of bittersweet to me I don't race but,  I am there with these peeps every weekend cheering them on like they were my own. I have watched a great group of people accomplish so much and I am gonna miss it... 

    We are officially on the Road To Nats. J-man is training hard and pushing for podium. To be a 14 year old child and be so passionate about something the way he is about cycling makes me jealous. Jealous because when I was his age I wasn't that passionate about well.... anything. Unless it was the mall or my friends. We officially have 19 days until Nationals. BOOM! I am so nervous for him. I know he will do great, there is no doubt in my mind. He has some tough competition and he has raced against these kids before. They all are very talented young men so the 15-16 Jr Boys race is gonna be unforgettable this year. We are making our journey to Wisconsin on Wednesday, January 9th. I checked the weather there this morning and it's a lovely 18 degrees with a low of 4 degrees. This is not gonna be a cake walk for anyone. Personally I hate cold weather and I almost skipped out going this year. He went with a great group of guy's last year and I could have easily sent him this year with them, but he's doing so well that Momma had to be there. 

    This past weekend we traveled to Hendersonville for the NC Grand Prix. Saturday was a 2/3 field and Jordan was excited to race with some of his DIY teammates. For the most part he is pretty calm before a race, but lately he has started stressing over his tire pressure. He goes and asks everyone around him what he should run. Of course people of different weight and height run different tire pressure and depending on the course, etc. These are all factors that he personally just has to work on. He rode 30psi and I believe it affected his riding. He slid out in a few different places and the course was dry. He finished 13th out of 68 riders. After Saturday's race there was a Cross Clinic hosted by Adam Myerson, a pro rider and cycling coach. Before I go any further I just want you to understand this was a FREE clinic that he took time out of his day to provide for several Juniors and other riders and even non-riders (me). Pretty impressive, it's a rare occasion for someone at his level to offer their expertise, so thanks Adam for giving your time. Jordan learned several things in this clinic, one very  important thing he was taking a particular corner way too fast. One would think that you wanna go as fast as you can, but not at the risk of sliding out or hitting that tree. We walked away with some knowledge that J used the following day and will continue to use in future races. I on the other hand was just trying to stay upright. 

Which is faster? Running or Riding?

Jordan and Nolan

    Day 2 of the NC Grand Prix started out cold and cloudy. J's start time was 3:05. Great if you wanna sleep in but that never happens so at 8:30 we were at the course and setting up the EZ up for some projected rain. Last race of the day and it was already a muddy, slippery course. These conditions are a dream for this kid. Not much for the mom chasing everyone around with my camera, but a cx racer loves it. In this race was a huge group of Junior Boy's who kill it in cycling, whether it be road, mtn or cx their names are known in the cycling community. It was one of the funnest races I have watched in a long time. To see these group of young men get out there and ride their hearts out in the pouring rain and mud was very impressive. Nolan Tankersley took the win! I am pretty sure I haven't seen him smile this much in awhile. He killed it! All in all it was perfect cross conditions and we got to watch everyone slide down the muddy wall. 

Nolan sliding up "The Wall"

Grayson Brookshire, Connor Tankersley, Colton Brookshire, Jordan Lewis, Nolan Tankersley,  Byron Rice and Blake Johnson

     Remember the names above if you don't already know them. These boys will have and will continue to make an impact in cycling. 

    Unfortunately we don't have any races this weekend but I am looking for a few before Nationals.... Stay tuned. 

P.S. Trying out new colors and layout for my blog so it may be crazy for a few posts.

Feeling the Pain Cave

    I'm a slacker mom blogger! I haven't had the time to really post alot lately so I am going to give it a shot today...unless I get interrupted! 

    It's a little hard to post a full fledge race report per J-man's point of view so I always give you my point of view, which if you know me and if you have EVER seen me at a race I am chasing him around the course as much as I possibly can usually with Camera in hand and screaming my lungs out! I scream nothing but good things though so don't judge. 

Jordan has bumped up his cycling in the past year. This year for cyclocross (which is his favorite of cycling) he started the season as a Category 4. Cat 4 is beginner or in his case a bump up from Junior category. He won the first 4 races in Cat 4 and as any 13 year old (at the time) should do, he catted up to a Cat 3. A little bit of a different world in Cat 3, stronger competition and 15 minutes longer added to his race time of what used to be 30 minutes. His first Cat 3 race was his birthday weekend. Talk about excited! This kid was outta control and could not wait! I on the other hand as a mother was internally freaking out... What if 45 minutes was too long? What if he did horrible and got discouraged? These are common "mom" issues and his coach informed me he would be fine. He won the MSG Cat 3 weekend and the following weekend we were off to Cincinnati. Ok he did good at home but, this is a big race. Alot more riders and harder course. First day he got 13th with a flat, 2nd day in the pouring rain and 30 degrees he got 1st!! First? Holy Cow and the 3rd day he got 4th! He had a strong sprint at the finish for this one too. I was in shock! He was training hard and I could really tell it was helping him. The following weekend was Derby City Cup in Louisville, KY. This course was SUPER hard and the preview for World's in February. This field was a Cat 2/Cat 3 split. So he was really gonna get a taste of racing with the Big Guys! We showed up and pre-rode the course and he loved it! Sand pits, flyovers, run-ups and off camber sections. This kid with mountain bike skills was in heaven. Until you throw 119 other guys in the mix... then things get a little difficult. 

First lap J-man got a great start, but BOOM sand pit disaster. He got tangled up with another guy (who might I add cussed my 14 yr old up and down) and he just fell behind. There was alot of running the bike and bottom line a huge field. 35th out of a start of 119 and only 95 finished. This was a dose of reality to J-man. He said "Mom that was the most physical course I have ever done" I could see the wheels turning in his head. He walked around and studied the course and the riders for the rest of the day. He knew what he wanted to do for the next day. He got a great start and moved his way up the group pretty quickly, he had started 25th both days. He ended up with a 10th place finish which was AMAZING! 

    Ok, fast forward to last weekend and after a few weeks off we raced at Mars Hill and he won the Cat 3 race. So if you know cyclocross you will know what the word Sandbagger means! Ha... my 14 yr old Cat 3 was being called a Sandbagger! So, what do you do? Put in for an upgrade of course. Gah, I was freaking out inside! 15 MORE minutes to a race! I was concerned he couldn't be there mentally, physically it would be a struggle, but Cyclocross Nationals are in January and why not? Good training... Again, this kid was the happiest kid on the planet! You would think he was getting a new puppy or something. 

   Race Day! One of the perks of Catting up is a later start time. I was stoked, thinking ok we can sleep later and not have to rush. Yeah right! J-man woke up at 6:30 am and started cleaning his bike, packing his bag and eating breakfast! 9:30 am we were at the course. Start time 2:15. Finally he lines up with some Crazy Fast people! Pro 1/2 Category ain't no joke people. 17 riders and 1 hour. I pretty much thought I was going to puke! Can you imagine how he felt?

J-man, Matt Russell, Drew Bailey, Nolan Tankersley, and Drew Hager

    Jordan got an ok start and he held on for awhile. You could see the pain in his face about 40 minutes in. This was a longer and way faster race than he's ever been in. It was pretty awesome to watch. He may not have finished top 3 but he rode his heart out. He got 14th out of 17th, but if you were there to watch him you could see that regardless of how much his legs hurt him he was NOT giving up. 

If this picture doesn't convince you he was in the Pain Cave then I don't know what would. He rocked it though! He finished his first Pro 1/2 Race and he was hurting so bad he couldn't walk. Lesson's learned: 1) Don't go out so hard 2) Train more. Day 2 of MSG weekend he got 3rd out of a smaller field but he rode alot better than the day before. He rode with Nolan and Drew. Two of the fastest kids out there! He kept up for a minute and then fell back, but he was riding alot different and held his own. Nolan is amazing... I can't figure out where he gets his Energy! I wish I could bottle it up! Drew...he's a strong rider and that kid can kill it! J-man strives to ride like these two one day....

Next stop: Hendersonville for NC Grand Prix and then it's the Road To Nationals! Madison, WI in January. Much fun and I can't wait.... Stay Tuned

MSG #7 at Mars Hill

    We got to head over the mountain to one of Jordan's favorite places this weekend. Mars Hill College. We love the coach and riders there. They know how to put on an event, whether it be Mars Hill Cycling Camp or a MSG Cross Race. Awesome course, food and pretty sweet Trophies. Jordan raced the Cat 3's and got first place! He did great, from what I hear it was a tough course with a little Mountain biking on the backside of the course.
 Here are a few pics to enjoy!

Sweet Trophies from Industry Nine  

Grand Poobah D-wayne

Shop Kitty aka The Mad Heckler aka Megan

J-man with his cool trophy

Look how precious they are.... haha until you say start then they will kick some booty


Last MSG Racing weekend for the year/series at Farmhouse Gallery and Gardens! Be THERE! 12-8/12-9