tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30215585449308409402011-08-05T14:18:20.825-04:00kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.comBlogger631100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-45745228085345063442010-11-05T14:06:00.000-04:002010-11-05T14:06:28.644-04:00

This started as a comment on RMM's latest diatribe, but I figured I should move it over here and blow it out so I could fully cover my views on the subject. Part One: Staging protocols. The correct way to stage is based on the speed of the racer. With this in mind, let's list and evaluate various staging protocols. 1) Perfect staging. You run the race on day one. Everyone comes back to the same

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-36765790140293225522010-08-03T10:43:00.000-04:002010-08-03T10:43:17.372-04:00

I've been kind of reluctant to write about my fledgeling road racing career. Having a UCI license that say both "XC:PR" and "RD:05" is a lose-lose situation. If I win I'm a douchey sandbagger. If I don't win then I'm pathetic. Last weekend (edit: well, two weekends ago now) had a little of both, so maybe I can pull this off. What went right. In a flat race, dudes can pretty much work together

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-66811849707331251472010-07-01T15:26:00.000-04:002010-07-01T15:26:57.372-04:00

i have no idea what is going on here. this photo proves i have no idea how to ride a wheel with a tube in it. (photo: Randall Tate) What went right. I was feeling good. I got up early and nailed my morning routine. The fuel tanks were topped off. Right before I left home, I came to my senses and aborted my front-tire experiment, and threw on one of my trusty never-fail, but heavy-as-butter tires

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-21542087104867777542010-06-15T13:15:00.000-04:002010-06-15T13:15:14.148-04:00

Jeff Lukach took this photo as I rolled over his midsection. What went right. New kit. I was lookin' good. Ever notice that this section is really short? What went wrong. Rear tire wouldn't hold air. Kenda sidewalls are notoriously porous, and take more than the 24 hours I gave them to set up correctly tubeless. I pumped that bastard up 75 times, all day long on Saturday. Sunday morning I was

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-82840186603059479322010-06-09T10:17:00.000-04:002010-06-09T10:17:19.175-04:00

(edit: I wrote this a while ago, and it sat waiting for an image of my ride home for about a month. downloaded about two months worth of crap off the garmin last night, so this post finally gets published. pretend it's April 21st...) What went right. I got a good start. At the last two races, I had too much left in the tank at the finish, and felt great during the last lap. I figured the best

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-33022354119511493422010-06-03T11:25:00.002-04:002010-06-03T11:27:12.431-04:00

Neutral gang colors. Yes, my jersey matches my wheels, thanks for noticing. (photo: Uri) What went right. ummm. The weather? Beautiful day. What went wrong. My course recon. I was under the impression that Willowdale was flat and this was going to be a high speed big ring race. I came to win. I had my fastest tires on (xr1/rear, knobless wonder/front) (no link for the knobless wonder,

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-45933198899592580742010-05-21T12:25:00.004-04:002010-05-21T15:27:24.190-04:00

Click on it. Inspect it. Contact me. (photo: Craig Mello) What went right. The only thing I knew about this course was that everyone said it was incredibly technical and that it would destroy you. Drama queens. It really isn't that bad. There are a few tough rock gardens, but you can keep the speed up, and the flow steady for most of the race. Regardless, I showed up with my bike in full-on rock

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-46353543427361858202010-05-10T22:43:00.002-04:002010-05-10T23:05:06.939-04:00

The entire course was bone-dry, except for the 50 foot section with the photographer. seriously. What went right. I was finally ready to go at the previously agreed upon time. Too bad my driver (can you do that? is it against blog etiquette to link to a twitter feed?) was a half hour late. What went wrong. Third lap. One of the sections where the course doubles back on itself. I check to see

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-57163807268961571062010-05-07T12:17:00.000-04:002010-05-07T12:17:26.433-04:00

As I said before, races will be acknowledged with quick and dry (well, as dry as a smart-ass can get) race reports. I'm working on a template to make procrastination a touch more difficult. Let's give it a test drive... What went right. I had no idea where my fitness was, but I knew I had no top end. The plan for the day was to push along steady and aerobically, without red-lining for the first

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-55035680016482746152010-05-04T10:00:00.003-04:002010-05-04T10:17:40.686-04:00

I was asked a few questions when my Pro upgrade was approved. I figured I should bite my tongue and not answer them immediately. I had nothing nice to say, and still don't; but I was appreciative of finally getting the upgrade. However, now that I actually have the physical license in my wallet, go grab your gas, let's burn these bridges. Most of my opinions have already been voiced in the

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-85488955536790201532010-05-03T08:30:00.001-04:002010-05-03T11:16:06.787-04:00

Twist my arm.

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-85084614015210756122010-04-30T10:53:00.002-04:002010-04-30T10:57:07.300-04:00

Dear Kevin Sweeney,The following request to change your INTL/NORBA category has been approved and processed by USA Cycling:huge_pop - 2010-03-11 9:37Member: Kevin SweeneyLicense: INTL XCRequest to change category from Cat 1 to ProMember Explanation/Resume:Mark, Sorry to keep bothering you, but below are the results you requested when you rejected my last upgrade request:I raced Cat1 at the

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-26806863509643636392010-04-29T09:21:00.000-04:002010-04-29T09:58:18.184-04:00

There is basic algebra scribbled all over my walls. There has to be a solution to this problem. 24 seems like such a large number. An hour is such a long time. How come I can't get anything done? Everything I do is planned days or weeks ahead of time. Relaxation comes in 5 minutes spurts, constantly being interrupted by the guilt of not being productive.Work.Last year I worked a job I hated. I

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-45833675371452501152010-04-08T16:42:00.004-04:002010-04-09T11:43:42.108-04:00

Race report? Weird.What the hell is a time trial?Roadies will tell you that mountain bike races are like 2 hour time trials.Mountain bikers will tell you that road races are retarded and mountain bike races are actually races. Therefore a time trial is a race, don't listen to roadies.Just a race?Well, no. It's a race against yourself. Or at least it starts out that way. I thought I was going to

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-6144557411950310462010-04-06T17:50:00.005-04:002010-04-06T21:47:00.683-04:00

Word? This is a bike blog, so I feel I need to mention when I get a new bike. i am a horrible photographer. The more astute squirt gun show reader would note that this is the third BMC I have had in less than a year. What can I say, and BMC has a great warranty program. These little sissy roadie bikes with their tiny tires and rigid everything just can't take the beating I dole out. Well, that

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-39463955781038125032010-04-05T21:42:00.005-04:002010-04-05T22:46:00.939-04:00

The 2010 race is just about upon us. I gotta bang out a bunch of posts so I have a clean slate when the season starts for real this coming weekend. First up: The best of the best, Rosey's Rhonde. Sevens stacked on Sevens. (photo: chip/hup)Why it ruined my 2010 season. You see that scene above? Well, I don't want to go on any rides that aren't a competition against other teams, I don't want to go

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-47931325911813491382010-03-24T13:06:00.001-04:002010-03-24T13:55:41.851-04:00

Disclaimer: My rants may seem like they are directed at the author of the rejection emails I have received. They are not, they are directed at USA Cycling as a whole. I do not know who is responsible for their individual policies, but for now I am directing my anger at the entire organization, not any one single employee. This is the explanation that was passed along with my rejected upgrade

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-4989084103029203692010-03-17T22:03:00.000-04:002010-03-17T22:05:27.869-04:00

Dear Kevin Sweeney,The following request to change your INTL/NORBA category has been denied by USA Cycling:huge_pop - 2010-03-04 11:34Member: Kevin SweeneyLicense: INTL XCRequest to change category from Cat 1 to ProMember Explanation/Resume:At the beginning of the 2009 season, I started out racing Cat1 and in my first 5 races, I never finished worse than 4th, with 3 podiums, and one win. After

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-5024413718656995222009-12-21T15:30:00.007-05:002009-12-21T16:28:20.945-05:00

It started not too long ago, when we were cleaning up Ice Weasels. I spotted an Eggbeater cage sitting on the registration table. It was well after dark, and everyone had gone home. "Gee, that would look good in my pile of Eggbeater parts" I thought. Yoink, into my pocket it went.Fast-forward a day or two later when, like any obsessive promoter, I was googling "ice weasels" and reading every

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-86510777588706025782009-12-16T21:01:00.000-05:002009-12-16T21:02:23.977-05:00

What's up dudes? We put on a race, let's talk about it... we trucked that snow in from vermont. and the sun from florida. i think it was worth it.Thanks,Obviously, a big round of thanks must be given first and foremost. Putting on a race is about finding people to help you, and coordinating that help more than anything else. From registration to parking, results, beer, to course work, heckling/

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-56495595987724360552009-11-27T11:55:00.000-05:002009-11-27T11:55:20.668-05:00

Hey guys, what's up? It's us, the back of the field.Nope, Further back.Yeah, there. Hi!It's probably been awhile since you've been back here, so let me give you a little update. Things are tough. Not just the normal, "i'm going to get lapped and my legs and lungs burn too much to do anything about it" brand of tough. That's to be expected, that's why we sign up for these things.This is different.

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-26801712874155512882009-11-26T10:09:00.000-05:002009-11-26T10:40:37.567-05:00

Six reasons why Lowell is awesome. after a few minutes of squinting, i'm fairly certain that's me. (photo: Geoff)1) There wasn't a crash at the start. I did freak out a little going around the track when the pack started coming together. Cyclesmart has left mental scars on me. I think it's going to be a long time before I'm anything but cowardly off the line.2) The announcer narrated my trip to

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-85847018895563845242009-11-25T13:32:00.006-05:002009-11-25T23:26:19.971-05:00

Things I have done wrong this cyclocross season.uh, I need to race that bike, could you, and you, and you, and you, and you please get off of it? (that's me in the middle, #32) 1) Allowing Derrick St. john and Rickey Visinski to line up within 10 feet of each other.2) Not dropping out of Cyclesmart day two after hitting the pavement at speed. I subjected myself to a great deal of unnecessary pain

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-17837775659986876312009-11-10T14:01:00.004-05:002009-11-10T20:05:40.200-05:00

How did we get here?I'm a mess. I sucked on Sunday, and this week is like slow torture. I have a gigantic monkey on my back and it's not going anywhere. I can't concentrate on anything. Nothing satisfies me. I'm craving something, but can't for the life of me figure out what it is. All I know is that I am constantly on edge. I've given more strangers the bird in the last 48 hours than I have in

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-13319500013325113932009-11-06T13:33:00.011-05:002009-11-06T16:04:15.790-05:00

Why didn't you race Canton?Let's start from the beginning. Downeast? In Maine? Remember? With all the mud? Yeah, that. Gave my bike a good scrubbin' after that weekend. Rode 'er into the office the following day to see how she was running. Like most of the bike commuters around me, there was all sorts of grinding and squeaking coming from my drivetrain. A quiet bike is a fast bike. My bike was

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-27228937647959609712009-10-28T13:10:00.000-04:002009-10-28T14:05:02.835-04:00

Day one.It happened. It was muddy. There are few pictures. None of me. I won't bore you with paragraphs of text with no pictures. I know you, Internet, you have a short attention span. You like pictures. Greg had a great ride. Wheels wrecked it something fierce. I felt horrible before, during, and after; but I finished. I was under-dressed, and under-motivated. My gearing was retarded. When it

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-20758333776664611312009-10-23T13:42:00.010-04:002009-10-23T14:48:09.030-04:00

Greetings, from the elite field.It's been a few weeks since we last talked. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but things are better here. You're not supposed to know that, it's kind of a secret.How much better is life in the elite field? Well, I have conducted a series of experiments and found that if you are Cat3, your tubulars will roll 100% of the time; verses 0% of the time if you

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-34864304231459299562009-10-21T13:43:00.007-04:002009-10-21T16:32:35.352-04:00

Prerace.Ice bath, protein smoothie full of berries, salad full of color, tons of sleep. I pulled out every recovery trick I have ever used. It was like a perfect storm of recovery. I laid on my back for so long, with my legs so elevated, that my toes went numb. Woke up Sunday morning and hopped on the trainer. Seriously, every single recovery method I had access to was employed. I was still

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-55929887622766226992009-10-20T13:27:00.006-04:002009-10-21T09:14:29.123-04:00

Location: Staging, Providence Day1, elite race.Position: Last "row" (do 3 non-consecutive dudes qualify as a "row"?)Goal: Do not get lapped.Go. dear ibc, skinsuits! kisses, kevinHoly shit......am I the only one here without carbon wheels? I can remember the smell of the first turn well. The pavement ended, and everyone jacked up their brakes for the turn onto the grass. The air was thick with the

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-3338094449368461182009-10-09T11:24:00.004-04:002009-10-09T12:01:37.929-04:00

No one likes you.No, really. You're insignificant. The Cat3 race is like the Special Olympics of cyclocross. I learned this the hard way. One of my goals for cross season was to earn the VERGE Cat3 Men leader's jersey. I figured a year of racing at the front of the Verge series would be a great way to make a name for myself in New England cycling circles. Would I know who Jamie Belchak is if he

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-10342496411264368772009-10-08T16:05:00.006-04:002009-10-08T16:50:01.505-04:00

Pre-raceI stayed up late rebuilding my bike after Saturday's romp in the mud. Mountain bikers know the unseen damage riding in wet conditions will cause. Unseen damage always comes to the surface during a race, so it's better to preempt this damage before it becomes a problem. Cross races are too short for problems. I had a feeling a well running machine would give me an advantage since 99% of

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-59495226490386008572009-10-08T10:03:00.003-04:002009-10-08T12:54:58.083-04:00

(lack of) PhotosOne of the many problems with racing in the rain is that people keep their cameras in their dry cars or pockets. This means the awesome photos of you covered in mud, with the rain pouring off your elbows and chin never get taken. That kind of bums me out. Combine this with the fact that no one likes blogs without pictures, and we have what brainiacks call a conundrum. I have

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-63738282151761963772009-10-06T15:33:00.005-04:002009-10-06T16:19:02.783-04:00

I actually already wrote up the Gloucester pre-race report. It's the Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend Day Two Race Report. The entire purpose of my trip to Vermont was to shake the rust off my cyclocross skills and earn a call-up at Gloucester. It was a successful trip. I went from bumbling rusty dropout, to contender; and improved my Gloucester start from about row 13 to row 2. For real. 13 to

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-28045165089358511862009-10-02T11:23:00.002-04:002009-10-02T11:30:32.307-04:00

In my Vermont day one report, I bitched about my starting position. Day two I had the same shitty starting position, except 25 people were called up in front of me, instead of 10. That was OK though, it was my fault I wasn't one of those 25 people getting called up, I accepted the consequences of my DNF. Time for redemption.CoachingOn day one my coach told me I had to go super hard at the start.

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-90043853338704366422009-09-30T10:44:00.003-04:002009-09-30T10:50:01.909-04:00

I hate not finishing races. I Hate it, it pisses me off, completely. Thankfully, with the Saturday/Sunday format of cross racing I only had to wait 24 hours for redemption. I had work to do though since my bike got the worst of the trampling I received. The cable housing leading to my derailleur blew up, and the barrel adjuster snapped off. Then there were the wheels.While my competition was

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-89937392386826939912009-09-28T22:32:00.003-04:002009-09-28T23:06:49.495-04:00

My relationship with cross has always been one of convenience. I wanted (needed) to race my bike, and there were only cross races on the schedule. It worked out well. I was happy, cross was happy. I never really gave cross much thought. I figured it was just a good way to delay the fattening; you know, when the bike collects dust and the holiday cheese comes by the pile.But this year was

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-32852042347773766182009-09-25T18:49:00.002-04:002009-09-25T18:56:25.549-04:00

Few notes (excuses) leading into the first weekend of Cross racing.Since this is cyclocross in New England, the race actually started about a month ago, when registration opened up. I missed the boat on this one. I was on BikeReg to register for the Norcross Scurry (I believe) when I noticed Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend listed. I promptly shat my pants. My cyclocross season was over, and it

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-70247701814262515312009-09-24T20:00:00.003-04:002009-09-24T20:41:05.983-04:00

There are a few different types of promoters. There are those that put on a race and don't really care what people think about it. You gotta admire these guys, they put on the race they want to put on and they don't compromise. You tell them you liked the course they thank you for coming. You tell them you didn't like the course, they laugh, tell you to toughen up and thank you for coming. They

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-7530990370136038892009-09-23T20:15:00.003-04:002009-09-23T20:32:06.560-04:00

Holy crap, can you believe it? I'm posting and it's not a race report. It's been months since that's happened. Yeah, I was racing too much, my last month of suck is proof. I also started a new job, working 40 hours a week has made time tight. Not sure if anyone has noticed, but most of my posts aren't the type that you can belt out in 10 minutes. Most of them take me two or three hours, which

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-41488597367104822272009-09-06T09:16:00.008-04:002009-09-06T18:14:16.528-04:00

Yeah, It's been over a week, but I got a lot of crap swirling around in my head, so I need to shake out this report in order to get my thoughts situated. Plus, I mention cyclocross, so I had to wait until September to post. I do not support the idea of thinking about, talking about or racing cyclocross before September.The week before.I was riding at Blue Hills with Thom, Will and Greg the Leg.

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-77117069069532186582009-08-20T19:16:00.010-04:002009-08-21T14:57:39.675-04:00

Let's lay some groundwork here. Here is a brief list of facts that should be considered while reading this report.1) I have never done a race longer than a standard XC race. 25 miles, 2 hours, that's my bread and butter.2) I have never raced outside of New England3) I'm of Irish heritage, and therefore feel comfortable in cold, rainy climates.4) I was coming off the 24 Hours of Great Glen, and

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-75009247169058278162009-08-12T22:22:00.003-04:002009-08-12T22:39:01.041-04:00

I hurt always, and I'm hungry, and tired.I go to work, and eat constantly, while drinking coffee.I get home, I eat and go to bed.I wake up and my legs still hurt.I can't shake Great Glen, it was a 24 hour hammerfest. No sleep, no letting up. The squirt gun show has gotten loads of traffic this week, surely from Thom's and Colin's Great Glen posts, so I feel I need to explain why I haven't written

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-61943391695756450222009-08-06T09:01:00.001-04:002009-08-06T09:31:10.109-04:00

It is with a tip of my hat to Cosmo Catalano that I present to you, How The 6th Place Was Won.Eyes on the prize.My performance at Hodges was atypical, so in the interest of duplicating it I am going to look back and over-analyse everything I did differently. First off, many fans of periodization will assume I was "Peaking" for this race, judging by my performance and the fact that it was the

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-45730887347530620442009-08-02T17:34:00.014-04:002009-08-02T21:09:49.378-04:00

PreraceThere are a few things that turn me into a whiny bitch. Heat is one of them, not being able to ride is another. The recent weather pattern of oppressive heat, downpour, oppressive heat, downpour, (...and repeat) has sucked my motivation dry and basically turned me into a whiny bitch. Heat also suppresses your appetite, and not eating leads to less energy. So I basically have been sitting

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-1692876910851623492009-07-29T22:05:00.004-04:002009-07-29T23:16:29.062-04:00

Prerace.I like to scour the internet, looking for course conditions, recent weather, reports from people who have pre-ridden, any information that could give me a slight advantage on race day. In the days leading up to the race, I received conflicting information about the "new" course at Mount Snow. On the one hand, there was the press release Mount Snow put out, which contained the following

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-8934206484992206782009-07-25T00:39:00.003-04:002009-07-25T22:14:54.236-04:00

I'm all backed up. I'm racing tomorrow, and I still haven't written the race report from last week. And I've been hearing about it. Much like the flack I once received from my high school English teachers, fans of the squirt gun show have been demanding a Harding Hill report. Well, my public is fickle, and entertaining them is the burden I must bear, so without further adu, or procrastination, I

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-66307607284357280752009-07-16T10:03:00.014-04:002009-07-16T22:48:29.333-04:00

The Pro/Open field at Pats Peak was pretty stacked. I realized this early when I lined up at the start next to Jonathon Page, yes, that Jonathon Page (why doesn't his wiki page note that he got 2nd at the 2007 Cyclocross World Championships?). I was fortunate to be able eavesdrop on his conversation with Jerry Chabot, who had just won the Cat2 singlespeed race. I picked up some valuable course

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-81271500312607578832009-07-15T08:06:00.003-04:002009-07-15T08:08:27.651-04:00

If you've seen the results, you're probably here for an explanation of what happened. I took a wrong turn. If you're looking for a more through explanation, read on.Where to start, I have so much to bitch about. First, at the start, everyone is told that that the course is in horrible condition so they are shortening the race, then the waffling starts. There is an open discussion, with random

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-90743605053474822592009-07-14T07:33:00.001-04:002009-07-14T07:35:22.283-04:00

I'm not a fan of commenting on my own blog. It strikes me as amateurish. The squirt gun show is for me to try and amuse you with my wit and opinions. It is not a tool I use learn the opinion of others. But every once in a while, the squirt gun show collects some comments that are just too hard to ignore.First up is Anonymous. What happened? We used to be so cool. You used to agree with me. You

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-57584750654963785972009-07-13T09:22:00.004-04:002009-07-13T10:37:46.863-04:00

Years ago when Pats Peak decided they didn't like not making money all summer long, the decided to create a mountain bike race course. This is how the discussion went:The players:Pats Peak guy 1 (PPG1), let's call him the head snowmaker.Pats Peak guy 2 (PPG2), let's say he is an event coordinator.Note that neither of these two guys knows the first thing about land management, sustainable trails,

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-14376132782714711692009-07-06T08:45:00.006-04:002009-07-06T09:35:22.426-04:00

As I stated before, I race series. I don't train specifically for single races, I train to be consistent all season long. This can be burdensome since it basically means that I have to race every race on the series schedule. We all know there are weekends where your head just isn't in the game and racing feels more like work than pleasure.A little background:Every 4th of July, I head back to

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-52911849866795186942009-06-29T08:38:00.011-04:002009-06-29T22:55:25.478-04:00

First, the basics. This was my first Pro/Open race. Pro/Open means the Pros have to race it and the Cat1s (me) can choose to race it. If you want to know more about course features and/or conditions, read some other race reports, recapping the course isn't my style. Let's just say it was slick with mud, and there was a lot of climbing.Since this was my first Pro/Open race, I'm going to

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-52207838726774045842009-06-25T07:51:00.003-04:002009-06-25T10:01:32.231-04:00

The whole time I was throwing my USA Cycling hissy fit last week, there was one very important factor that went mostly unmentioned. As James eluded to in the comments, in the Root 66 series, I can race against the Pros as a Cat1 in the Pro/Open race without having a Pro license. Unfortunately, decent results from these races will get me no closer to an actual Pro license since they are not part

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-40569951920850189572009-06-19T20:20:00.004-04:002009-06-21T10:33:17.292-04:00

Dear USA Cycling,Hi, I'm Kevin, maybe you've heard of me? I'm the guy that has recently made you realize that you shot yourself in the foot with your new mountain bike categories, specifically with the new Pro upgrade requirements. Well, one of my biggest pet peeves are people who complain about a situation, but don't have any ideas for improving the situation. With this in mind, I would like to

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-3311022327863787892009-06-18T08:34:00.010-04:002009-06-18T12:40:48.125-04:00

In yesterday's post, I explained why I thought eliminating the SemiPro category would not solve (long term) the problem of small Pro fields. Today I'm going to show you exactly what I was talking about by analysing the result of one of the (very few) races that actually count towards an upgrade. I really wanted to do this exercise for Sea Otter, since the large fields would show the true

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-79989054870012076592009-06-16T11:20:00.007-04:002009-06-17T11:42:07.718-04:00

Let me preface this by saying that I am not complaining about USA Cycling's new categorization process out of bitterness because my upgrade request was rejected. I do not think I am currently racing at a level to warrant a Pro license. I also do not think I am racing at a Cat1 level. I would say I am racing at a SemiPro level, but since SemiPro is now Pro.... wait... or is it?Before I get into

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-21004034459551952142009-06-16T08:23:00.009-04:002009-06-16T12:59:19.482-04:00

I'd like to say I copied and pasted the following from my inbox, but apparently the nuances of HTML vs. Plain Text are beyond USA Cycling. The following came as one solid line of text, peppered with HTML tags. It took me a good 10 minutes to get it into a readable format:Dear Kevin Sweeney,The following request to change your NORBA category has been denied by USA Cycling:2009-06-07 11:09Member:

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-10577070020982173032009-06-04T16:46:00.014-04:002009-06-05T11:27:51.470-04:00

It's no secret, I DNF'ed Bear Brook because of a pedal malfunction. This has brought the Eggbeater haters out of the woodwork. Both Colin and Keith have taken jabs at my equipment choices in their race reports. Being as important and well known as I am, there are probably hundreds of similar race reports out there that I just haven't read yet.As I was sitting in my basement this morning

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-64270199113082413892009-06-01T18:26:00.009-04:002009-06-02T07:46:29.803-04:00

Wasn't feeling it. Had a good dose of negativity floating around my noggin. I figured an hour drive with metal loud enough to make your ears bleed would clear out my head. I was right, but the 20 minute porta-potty line once I got to Bear Brook State Park allowed the negatons to creep back in. Good thing metal makes you drive fast. I had time to spare. Which was good because you also had to wait

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-65486819685783031182009-05-26T12:47:00.011-04:002009-05-29T14:08:41.173-04:00

(Dear Internet, I know. You like pictures. Text is boring. Hang in there, soon I will have a camera to amuse you with. For now, be glad I figured out how to add links. Baby steps. (edit: Found one!))The squirt gun show is a very young blog. Because of this, you might not be expecting too much from it, but today that changes. I am going to share with you a medical breakthrough that will rock the

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-16351289790360023512009-05-23T09:02:00.015-04:002009-05-23T10:39:37.231-04:00

The theme of the week here at the squirt gun show is the ugly topic of sandbagging, and lives of those it touches.Background:Pro mountain bikers get all the love. Huge houses, tons of ladies, caviar for breakfast, golden showers. But what about the rest of us? The working men (and women)? The fast Cat 1 guys (and girls). Sure we might sniff the podium a little every now and then, maybe even get

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-4625409840553244632009-05-20T11:50:00.003-04:002009-05-21T11:57:49.930-04:00

The day was Sunday, September 10th, 2006. The event was my first Expert/Cat 1 race. The venue was The Horror at Harding Hill. I didn't win. Since then I have gone on to not win 28 other Expert/Cat 1 races. I have won exactly 1, it was three days ago, and it ended my heroic losing streak.Spend a little time with a calculator and you'll discover that my winning percentage is a whopping 3%. With

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021558544930840940.post-71974752198409120302009-05-17T22:59:00.001-04:002009-05-17T22:59:56.977-04:00

I killed it.

kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06282484169736982264noreply@blogger.com1