I see Eric is registered in the 1/2/3. I expect to be joining him tomorrow.

Our IV contingent
Christopher Bloome Kissena
Eric Mehlenbeck Kissena
Joji Matsushima Kissena Cycling Club
Ricardo Sanchez Kissena Cycling Club

Harry Edmund Bolick kissena cycling club
Joshua Caesar Kissena Cycling Club

Anyone else showing up?

plan to, but didnt register yet

I plan to be there in the 4s. Yippee kai-yay.

My day started by suddenly realizing I was going to be racing with "no power" because the batteries on my F*ing Garmin were dead; the thing doesn't turn itself off so it had been running since Friday am... little did I know that was an omen for the race itself.

Met up with the guys and we did a quick recon of the field; Joseph Brother here? Check
Hudson here? Check
Random dude (chick?) with no helmet, headphones and a goddman KICKSTAND on the bike? Check. <Ejected From Race>
First few laps were pretty chill - not much of a pace but surprising how disorganized the pack was compared to Catskills. Definitely a different kind of race.

Chatted with Joseph Brother and agreed to try and go with 2 laps to go.

Around lap 4 or 5 we got strung out on the uphill and Joseph Brother jumped out of the saddle to bridge. Hudson was already up at the front so I followed.

Not much of a gap, but a group of 8 was trying, and by the bandshell I was really suffering. "Man this is really tiring" I thought. Then (and this is the part I'm proud of) I thought, "Ok, if I'm hurting, everyone is hurting. Someone should attack now."

Sure enough, Hudson drilled it just before the descent and I went with. It was me, Hudson and some other guy. I played Break Captain and shouted 'short pulls' and 'pull of now!' and we were opening a pretty nice gap. Unfortunately just as we approached the start/finish my legs did a little move I like to call "Fuck you Jules, Fuck your race, fuck your dreams of glory and fuck the horse you rode in on. I fucking quit. Now fuck off because I'm done."

And that was that. It was like a bonk; no power, no nothing. Except I'd eaten, and we hadn't raced *that* long, or (I think) *that* hard.

I guess I'm just old & tired after TOC.

Good news is that Henry and Joji finished Top 10 in the 5's and everyone stayed upright, except Adam... but I'll let him tell his story of Fred-tastic glory.

Nothing to see here. Just a man sitting by his bike...

Three-letter race report: DNF.

Long-winded BS:

Got in a nice two-man move with Pat Jacobs mid-race at the bottom of the downhill, thought we had the prem, but the pack hunted us down before the line. Got in a couple other little ones that went nowhere, stretched the pack out to chase one down to set Adam up to counter (he went with Aviv and a couple other guys, and it looked really promising, but no dice).

Some Speedwell guy (pretty sure it was Speedwell -- red kit) attacks somewhere after the uphill with two to go and gets a really sizable gap. I attack at the bottom of the downhill and start to bridge up with the goal of catching him before the uphill, as I knew I'd need a draft up that hill. I get about halfway across by the carousel/Irving bust, mostly out of the saddle, then look back. Big gap back to the field, two guys on my wheel, a couple dudes trying to bridge up to us. I flick the two dudes through, but they were worthless -- mouths open, just trying to hang on. Whatever, so I get back out of the saddle and make a last push through the finish line to try to catch the Speedwell guy before the uphill, but he's just too fast, and I can only get within about 40 yards of him when he hits the bottom of the uphill. Right then a really skinny Asphalt Green guy comes flying by me, I try to hold his wheel, but I'm done. He and Speedwell took 1-2, I'm pretty sure. I get caught on the uphill by the pack and don't bother trying to hang on -- not enough time to recover to try anything before the finish.

Kinda bummed I couldn't make the bridge, but I'd burned too many matches beforehand. Bah.

Power for the race until I dropped off (57 minutes):

Norm power: 288 watts
Avg. power: 240 watts

5 sec 858
30 sec 499
1 min 466
2 min 403
3 min 356
4 min 344
5 min 321
10 min 292
15 min 271
20 min 263
30 min 246
40 min 245

For the 1-2-3 race I was the only Kissena.
Early 3 man break get reeled back coming into 6 to go which is also a prime lap. I attack by the parking lot (old entrance) and it looks like I have it, but as I crest the rise in sight of the finish, Gavi comes flying by. Yeah, my string of never winning a P. Park prime continues. With 4 to go there is another prime on offer, I follow folllow follow to go for it and end up in a split that gets reabsorbed. I rest at the back as the week's tempo low rpm training has me with non-road race legs. With the bell to go, a group of 6 is away with a Mengoni in it (Augusto bridged solo with 3 to go and I thought I should bridge, but then that would be foolish, one guy isn't going to make it - wrong).

So, heading up the hill on the last lap, I atttack hard up the last half of the hill as Brian Breech is doing the same from the opposite side of the road. Diasloki and Jermaine Burrowes are up a bit. I bridge across and and EMS guy gets across along with some green guy - both of them are useless. We get a great gap and I think we've got it, but Diasloski and myself are really the only two driving it as Breech doesn't want to push it as the break is in sight. We are holding off the field as they are charging and I just can't hang onto Breech, Diasloski and EMS - back from the dead and get caught before the line. I eased up not realizing the pay was 15 deep.

Legs hurt.

Ugh.

Triangle ride tomorrow.

sort of a slow race in the 4s, which suited me fine. i didnt see much of what was happening in the breaks, but it didnt seem like anyone stayed away for long untill later in the race. found myself near the front on the first prime, and did some work, but didnt want to blow out, so slowed up, and was 4th. should have gone for it though, cause in the last lap, a few guys got away, so there were two up the road at the final sprint. i got 4th in the sprint = 6th overall cause of the guys in the break. good news though is i am pretty sure i got the most imaginary points in the series. (cat4s get bupkus for the series total, but i can pretend. helps) Joji came in just behind for 8th i think. He seems fully recovered! Congrats also to Harry, a new rider who got a 6th in the 5's.

Yeah, well....

Usual story: lots of orange, white and blue jerseys at the front. The first couple of laps were OK, typical Cat4 field containing about 10 guys who actually intended to contribute to the race. Jules, from what I could see, was making every effort to get a break going. Saw a few half efforts and one kind of stuck. Happy days, I got to soft pedal at the front of the pack for a while. It didn't stick for too long though. Jeff was a monster roaming the front of the pack the whole time. He went for the 1st prime and when about 600m short I decided to bridge up. As a good cyclist, I got out of the saddle and went for it. At about 2/3 the distance I look behind me and there's a thin line of people just about clinging on to my wheel. Ooops- just managed to basically bring back my teammate by accident! I feel slightly better as after Jeff said that his partner (Jacobs) had already blown and they were slowing anyway.

Jeff then somehow recovered and a lap or two later, prowling the front, demonstrated and awesome amount of power by bringing back a strong guy who made it about 200m away on his own. I was on his wheel, expecting an arm flick. Nothing. The man had that shit covered. As we caught an attack came and as Jeff did all that work to get me in the perfect spot I jumped on it. A disjointed pull later and a quick look back the pack were hungry were hunting us down. No dice. Could have done a bit better in hindsight.

At the end we didn't really have too much pieced together. No lead out of sorts. At about 1 mile out, a strong guy gets up the road and gets about 300m. He needed to be brought back so I went to the front. Took a pull and then after an arm flick and some road swerving no-one would help. After 20 seconds of shouting at the shit show that was this Cat4 field I thought fuck to this. I'd rather lose by letting the guy with balls who made a move take it than drag the whole pack (I couldn't see where my teammates were, not on my wheel I thought), blow up, and lose that way. Decided to sit up and din't contest the sprint. Was spent by that point anyway. I think I burned 3 matches. Problem is, I only brought 2 to the race!!

As I said to guys who were there. Cat 4 field=20% doing all the work/moves/attacks and 80% just sit in, do nothing and hope to sneak a top 10. Not sure how to approach this type of race. I know Kissena is super happy to ride into a lactatey mush, is it bringing the best results though? Shame, I know Duncan is a powerful sprinter. Would have been nice to put a bit more together for him at the end. Alas....

After the race I crashed. I clipped in trying to head to the coffee shop for post race beverages. Left foot in, click. Oh shit. Bike is leaning to the left. Yep, it's leaning. Yep, it's going. Yes, I am on the floor. After the race. Goon! This, mixed with an uncooperative field on the last lap is etched on my face in Jules' picture. Happy days. No road rash from crash. Landed on grass.

13aug2011 bkNY

report cat5, so today's outcome a bit better than recent attempts in ppk: met Jules as entered park @GAP, rolled around counter clockwise to start/finish w/a minor tactics chat...today's mantra = "dont go out front, dont go out front, dont go out front, let others do work!" well, went out front...but, key difference i didnt pounce on the 'hills' &road it on someones wheel each time round, found a few big legs to follow around &leep frogged w/each 'attack', hid in behind the bunch at bottom of hill from the pavillion to start/finish each lap. final lap in 1st w/500m togo(same old story 4me), but, this time got onto the Speedwell train, had some reserve in legs, 3rd w/300 togo, out of saddle shift down to 11T (per KCC's recommendation), big legs kept rolling-by, held on for 5th@line...in ALL, rather fun! good pace@25.25avg, 38mx, took medal and managed a kiss(both cheeks) from the photo lady(Speedwell twins's mom)sweet! will try again 2morrow. -h;>

Found a ton of pictures on Facebook "SKN Photography"

Shortly before the Leg Revolution

Jeff on the front

Last gasps of a dying tyrant

Adam tests out "the look"

Adam again. He looks a little sad because he doesn't have his name stickered on his bike.

Harry charging

Eric looking pro... and slightly grumpy.

Harry headed for the line with the big men

JC Penny Catalog shot - who doesn't love this kit?

Adam: raconteur...

Jeff: considering...

re the
<<Random dude (chick?) with no helmet, headphones and a goddman KICKSTAND on the bike? Check. <Ejected From Race> >>

I think it was a chick - not sure otherwise how she\he got into the 4 race. Also the ballet shoes...

I was at the front line of the 5 and she was in the back of the 4.
She had:
-No helmet
-Platform pedals
-ballet shoes
-upright "town bike" style handlebars
-strapped top, no sleeves
-earbuds
-nike running shorts with the little zipper pocket in the back
-number pinned on the front of her shirt like a runner
-and a kickstand

When someone pointed out the # issue, she moved it to the back, facing the wrong way. We kept out calling out "hey, you need a helmet" and "you cant wear headphones" . Someone must have heard the headphones line, because the announcer said "no headphones" , at which point a couple of us said "helmets" and the announcer adds..."and no helmet phones either" .

I seriously thought this person was going to start the race. Finally the promoter got wind and pulled them. They were going to find a loaner helmet, but the no sleeves thing KO-ed the person. I heard someone say later it was a junior in their first race. It's too bad they were not better informed, what a crappy first race experience that must have been.

I've got no race report.

Got hit by a cab trying to make the light at Bleecker and Broadway. Somehow, my bike is fine--I guess my body took the brunt of it, and my right knee the worst. Mostly swollen and bruised, with some road rash and a skinsuit in need of repair. I have a serious hematoma where the inside of my right tibia probably slammed into the top tube.

On the good side--the road was just about to be closed for Summer Streets. by 6am
On the bad side--The road was still open. before 6am
On the good--there were two police witnesses. They called for aid within seconds. FDNY fast, NYPD just behind, EMT a little behind them. I got a report.
On the bad--it still hurts.
On the good--Saturday morning at Bellevue, and only a stab wound victim who wasn't in bad shape ahead of me.
On the bad--I came in a half-hour before the shift change.
On the good--the doc was a bike commuter.
On the bad--another cyclist was brought in to the room with me and he probably broke his arm trying to avoid a pedestrian.
On the good--X-rays by 9:30.
On the bad--out by 11:30.

took a cab to the fire house on great jones--a firefighter rode my bike there. And took City Streets home.

A knee warmer does a great job of holding the dressing holding the bandages.

still hurts.

JP, that sucks monkey balls! So glad to hear you're ok. Take it easy, brother, and enjoy the couch time. Not the worst time of year to take a break -- add that to the good?

Wump, that totally sucks. Hope you heal up soon.

FWIW July/August is the "never go to the hospital" season because the new residents have just arrived and the veteran ones have just left. You got out cheap; that poor guy with the arm probably has a cast that is either bent, too bendy or 40 layers too thick.

Yikes. Glad to hear bike and body are okay. Definitely good time to rest up for cross season.

Very sorry JP... heal fast and well.

Yeah, us nurses have to double triple check orders this time of year. Actual quote by a nurse colleague of mine the other day to doctor: "I am not going to push 16mg of dilaudid. I don't care if she is on a lot of pain meds at home."


(fyi, Dilaudid is roughly 10 times as strong as morphine, and a typical dose of morphine for an average person would be 2-6mg)

p.s. non-teaching hospitals don't have the "new residents and interns" problem.

JP - sorry to hear that , I hope you get well soon.

Marc - in addition - you get new medical students all year round...but according to my better half (who just started her first year 3 rotation) - they all take the speciality they dont want to start year 3.
For example, Alice wants to go into child pysch..and she is currently in her surgery rotation.

So you have new residents AND medical students who are not in their desired area. Good thing nurses are not rotated at the same time or it may be total chaos.

I was pretty happy to be going to Bellevue. Big city public hospitals are the trauma center of choice for all the bad shit that goes down. Typically, the ones in charge, the docs and the nurses, have seen everything and are well-equipped to deal with anything. Last time, yes, there was a last time, I'll show you the small scar on my finger that allegedly has or had 37 stitches inside it, I was taken to St. Vincent's, now closed, and the were out of splints. They made me one out of plaster--in 2007. Of course, going to Bellevue also means are also guys in orange jumpsuits and manacled, lots of cops, some well-off kid or two who o.d.'ed on something or other, the homeless, the insane, and so on.

And I was happy it wasn't Saturday night/Sunday morning.