The funky bus

No matter what orifice you're leaking from, we've got you covered.

The "eyes rolled back in the head" photo. Leading the charge up the first climb.

Utah Joe and I bombing downhill on lap 3.

Snaking my way through the trees before hitting the switchbacks for the last time.

Following the previous post, I have been super psyched to have my retro-cruiser up and running and anxiously awaited every chance I would get to ride it. Such was the case last Saturday when I was putting in a full day at the bike shop and counting down the minutes until closing time when I could hit the streets of M-town. My plans were awash when a thunderstorm decided to strike just as we flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed."

I sought refuge in my van, which was parked behind the shop and was to be my shelter for the night, since the morning would find me waking early to head for the NJSC race at Kittatinny. It was barely 7pm when I had finished eating some cold spaghetti while listening to my iPod and decided this was going to be a long night if it continued to rain. I'm very excited about the living in a van (down by the river) idea, but didn't enjoy the feeling of being stuck in it with nothing to do for hours. I vowed to make sure I had some form of entertainment for the future, but luckily the storm dissipated and I was able to get on the bike after all. I ran into my friend and coworker, Jay, at the Dunkin Donuts, who was also riding his bike. We cruised around for about an hour until a second wave of storms hit so we decided to call it a night and I fell asleep to the sound of torrential rain pounding on my sheet metal ceiling.

Sunday morning, I got up before my alarm went off and I gotta say I was feeling awesome. I made my oatmeal on my camp stove and grabbed a coffee from the bakery next door. I was to meet another coworker, Geoff (pronounced "Gee-off"), at the shop so we could rock the tour bus to the race. It's an old retired school bus, painted up with our shop's name and logos and is definitely a head-turner. Our boom box was barely audible over the sound of the struggling diesel engine and the squeaks and rattles coming from within as I bounced from my seat sans a safety belt. The last few roads were bumpy and winding and I began to feel my oatmeal doing an about face in my digestive system. Great, here comes pukey kid. Fortunately, the sheer awesomeness of riding in such a cool bus took the focus off of my guts and before I knew it we had reached our destination.

After checking in, I returned to the bus to hang out with some Team Marty's riders under our tent. Someone brought up the fact that this was indeed the NJ State Championship race and if you hold a USAC license, you are eligible for contention. I was told if I thought I had a shot at placing, I should go buy an annual license right there on the spot. It's amazing how the next series of events unfolded, and why I acted on them is miraculous. I was feeling great since I awoke that morning, and I felt my week of training leading to this race went well, but did I really think I had it in me to place in the top 3? I figured it couldn't hurt and it's beneficial to carry a license anyway, so I borrowed the $60 and got my USAC license.

After a short warm-up session, I proceeded to the staging area. It was a large field with a mowed roadway through it where we lined up in anticipation of the start of the race. The SSers were first to go, so I began walking along the edge of the tall grass to get to the front when suddenly dozens of bees began emerging from beneath my feet! I yelled to warn everyone and attempted to flee, but the nearly 100 cyclists were packed so close together, it was impossible to move. I escaped without getting stung, but many riders weren't so lucky. Fortunately, there were no allergic reactions and everyone was able to race.

My strategy is to get a jump on the field right from the line and to hang in the front as long as I can. What usually happens is, one by one, riders pass me as I move backwards through the pack until I settle in where I am comfortable. The start of this race was no different. I was in 2nd place from the gun and held the leader's wheel all through the prologue, up a short climb and into the first technical uphill section. Once we got into the single track, the lead guy began to pull on me and I decided it was way too early for an attack, so I kept the pace up, but not so that I would burn out. With the first place guy now out of sight, I was now leading the pack. The first climb was brutal because my heart rate had just been elevated from the super fast start and now I knew I was the man to catch.

When I completed the first lap and tore through the Start/Finish area for the start of lap two, I was still in 2nd! A crowd of people who I didn't recognize was cheering my name and it gave me this surge of power like I hit the afterburners. Some geared riders caught and passed me on the second lap. When I heard a bike approaching from behind, I would listen carefully for the distinct sound of derailleurs and chain slap and would be relieved that it wasn't a singlespeeder catching up to me. My friend, Leo, who I met in TN earlier this year, is an ex-Columbian National champion. He caught up to me in a fast, flowing portion of single track with banked turns. I didn't know who it was until he shouted something like, "You're doing great, Nick! Keep it up!" I recognized his voice and said, "Leo, you wanna pass me just say so!" and he said, "No, you're doing fine." Knowing he was behind me and hearing his words of praise gave me another burst of energy. Once the trail opened up a bit before a climb, Leo shot past me and took off at a ridiculous pace not to be seen again.

Two singlespeeders passed me on the second lap at different times. One was mtbNJ's own Norm. I calculated that this put me now in 4th place, not a podium spot, but by far the best damned finishing position thus far for me. I didn't learn until later that Norm was just riding a single speed and was not in my class. The other guy to pass me was indeed in my class and I hung onto his wheel for a while but had to let him go.

Heading into the 3rd and final lap, actually in 3rd place but thinking I was in 4th, I was still riding at the same pace as when I started. I marveled at how my body was not slowing down and how every time I needed to attack, the power was there every single time! I would clean a climb or a technical section and had enough steam to sprint at full speed to widen the gap on the guy behind me. I noticed that after an effort like that, and even a few times during one, I would get one of those deep, cleansing breaths that allow you to draw more oxygen and breathe slower. I use that as a sign that my body has recovered and I can put the hammer down again. Two other single speeders passed me about halfway through the third lap and I hung onto the latter of them. A mile or so later, he bonked and I ate him up. In the final mile, my friend Utah Joe caught up to me. I also offered to let him go by, but he said I was killing it on the downhill portion and he didn't need to pass me just yet. Once the trail opened up into a field, I let him through. He was the eventual winner of his class and he told me the last SSer he passed was a good several minutes behind us. This gave me the breathing room I needed to just focus on my riding and get myself to the end.

I prayed that I wouldn't get a flat, probably something I shouldn't even have been thinking about, but I was so excited to be in the top 5 for the first time, I didn't want to blow it. Utah dropped me on the last steep climb on the course and I was alone for the rest of the race. I wove my way through the trees leading into the super fun switchback corners for the last time and hauled ass down the fire road to the finish.

I knew I had done extremely well for myself, but it wasn't until the results were posted that I learned about Norm and realized that I actually had come in 4th! That was intense in itself, but nothing could have prepared me for the shock that was to come. Out of the three guys to finish ahead of me, one of them had either not been from New Jersey or simply did not have a USAC license, so that bumped me up to 3rd place in the State Championship. My first podium! During the awards ceremony, my heart was beating faster than it had during the race itself as I waited for them to call my name. Leo did the honors of capturing the proudest moment of my life.

On the ride home, I told Geoff that I decided that when we got back, I was going to go to Qdoba Mexican Grill to celebrate with a huge, honkin' burrito. He liked my idea so much that we hit it up on the way. When I got home, I couldn't wait to notify my coach about how well I did and how great I felt that day. That was when he informed me that he planned on having me peak for this event and that I delivered for him at exactly the right time. He said it made his day and that in turn made my day to know I made his.

I know I have said this before and I am positive that I will say it many more times, but this was the best race of my life... until the next one! :-)