tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8888511201863422042024-03-13T12:34:48.265-07:00The Natural High of LifeThe Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-27637478674367699792014-01-30T15:12:00.004-08:002017-08-12T04:22:28.688-07:00Highs & Lows My last blog was from my brothers wedding in September. SO much has happened since then. My life has gone in many different directions.<br />
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Two weeks ago my Grandfather, Andre "Greywolf" Forest passed away. He was the spearhead of the spiritual movement within my family. As a child growing up, it was forbidden for him to talk about his Native roots. When his son, my uncle, Don "Standing Bear" Forest was in his 20's he had a deep calling within himself that led him down a spiritual path of digging and uncovering who we really were. Years of genealogy work traced our roots and history to the Northwestern tribes of the Sou'West Nova Metis, Abenaki, MicMaq, and Huron tribes. With this new information and deep calling within our family, Standing Bear and Greywolf turned to Native practice and spirituality and I was brought up steeped in this tradition. My grandfather was a great man. I spent many, many weekends dancing and drumming with him at powwows and listening intently to his stories about the earlier days. My grandmother, Ester "Night dancer" and Greywolf were 2 of the most compassionate people I have ever met. Throughout their life, they raised 4 children and had over 50 foster children along with a sled dog team. At his service the other week, hundreds of people showed up to pay their respects and sing the MicMaq honor song. As the line of people went by, the room was filled with hand drums and people exchanging prayer ties and offering tobacco to his alter. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life, I have tears in my eyes now thinking about it. It was a huge honor to be a part of this ceremony and to stand by my uncle, Standing Bear's side as we sent his spirit up to the Creator.<br />
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Pepe, Grandfather, Greywolf, may the Creator hold you in his hands, may your spirit talk to us through the wind, and the trees, and the four-legged, may we feel your heartbeat within the sacred drum and may our prayers be brought to you through the tobacco smoke within the sacred pipe.<br />
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There's a word in the Micmaq language, Aquini (pronounced aqua-knee), meaning until we meet again.<br />
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Aquini Greywolf, your spirit lives on in every song, every beat of the drum, every red tail hawk in the sky, and every cool mountain breeze.<br />
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The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-88136341805932907372013-09-11T06:06:00.000-07:002013-09-11T06:06:02.014-07:00CX Begins!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again! Rip off the old tires, glue up the new ones, dial the bikes in and shred like you've never shred before. <br />
This past weekend was my third race of the season. The first 2 were out in NY at the Thursday Night Lights training series my team, NYCROSS puts on. It was super fun racing under the lights at 9pm. I had two good results. I took second at the first race and won the second race. A good way to start out the season. This past weekend was Quad Cross in Maynard Ma. It was a super hot and disgustingly dusty day. I finished the race with what felt like 2 lbs of dust in my lungs and in my mouth. My legs felt flat and not amazing. I ended up in 12th place respectively. I was happy with it, I smashed Colin Reuter and Ian Schon which always puts a smile on my face. Al Donahue won and Jerome Townsend ran over a hornet nest, got stung and still finished 3rd! <br />
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I am happy about where my fitness is this weekend and I have set a goal of winning the overall NYCROSS series. The first race in the series is this coming weekend. <br />
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It's been a few months since I've blogged and SO MUCH STUFF has happened. I finished my first academic year of graduate school (which I didn't think was possible) and moved into an amazing new house with Jeremy, Gabby, and my amazingly beautiful girlfriend Melissa. We have just gotten settled in and are enjoying having such a nice place in the middle of nowhere with a big ol hammock on the front porch. I started a 30 hour a week clinical internship with the transitional aged youth program in Greenfield Ma. I am loving it so far.<br />
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Also my little baby brother got married to the love of his life, Gabby Day (now Gabby Durrin) and it was the most perfect day mixed with family and friends. The weather was perfect, a sunny, dry, 70 degree day. I was amazingly honored to be the best man at the wedding. It was such a beautiful weekend filled with friends, family, and lots of laughter and love. <br />
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The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-85064570458228182222013-06-22T06:41:00.000-07:002013-06-22T06:57:56.980-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After finishing my last midterm, albeit a few hours late, I had an overwhelming urge to write a blog post. I haven't updated this thing since April and I feel like so much has happened. Well, I'm in grad school now! It's been absolutely crazy. This is first time I feel like I've had some time to breathe. I just completed week 3 and handed in 5 midterms this week. That's right MIDTERMS! At 3 weeks in! Who does that?? Smith does, and it's intense. After handing them in, I have 2 finals due this coming week as well! This is an accelerated academic program and when I say accelerated, I mean sky-rocket to the moon, warp-speed accelerated program. I've already had Bowenian, Freudian, and structural theory jammed into my brain, and that's just one class. Anyways, grad school has been great. I've met so many inspiring people here. Everyone is really genuine and wants to see legit social change in the world.<br />
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I have been training everyday while keeping up with readings and writings. I think riding my bike a couple hours a day is literally keeping me sane. I have been racing on the weekends as well. My weekend looks like this..... Wake up around 6, make a giant french press of coffee, read, write and do as much schoolwork as possible. Get in my car, drive to the race, RACE then drive home as quickly as possible, read and write more. HAHAHA. I have been feeling awesome on the bike as well. I've had some good races and I can't wait to race my hometown race next weekend, the LONGSJO!<br />
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Right before starting grad school started I went out with my brother to race the Somerville series. It was such an awesome experience racing with the top dogs in NE. We drove out on Friday night and Jeremy got a $300 speeding ticket in rural NY. We stayed with Tony Federiko in NJ and his family was so warm and welcoming, except for his dogs that barked at us non-stop. We raced a big 80 mile road race on Saturday and then a 50 mile crit Sunday and shorter brutal crit on Monday. It was awesome to be racing at the front of these big NRC races and making moves at the front of the crits. I have been feeling great on the bike and these races were huge confidence boosters.<br />
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While balancing racing and schoolwork I've been hanging out with the love of my life once a week. She comes out here on Wednesday evening and we have been rock climbing on thursday mornings. It's been amazing to have her out here during the week, but it's surely not enough time with her!<br />
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I also want to give a huge thank you to all the professors at NCCC, BCC, and Burlington college that have helped me along this path. A huge thank you to the JAM FUND cycling team and especially Al Donahue and Mike Busa who have been a non-stop help in helping me achieve the goals I have set in the racing world! Also to Berkshire Bike and Board and all my people there who ignited the passion of cycling in me. Life is good, no matter how busy and crazy it might be right now!The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-7619182365473175522013-04-30T10:00:00.003-07:002013-04-30T10:00:42.527-07:00Bike Racing Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Being on a team and surrounded with a community of like-minded people has been a fantastic experience that I wouldn't trade for anything.<br />
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For years, I've been training by myself in the Berkshires. For all of January, February, and March I was putting in long base miles by myself. No one out here is crazy enough to spend 3-5 hours a day, participating in a summer sport in 25 degree weather. From having our team camp in March, to meeting up at races, to having an online forum for all of the JAM members to meet up and share training tips, setting up travel plans, and breaking down races, it's been a wonderful experience so far. We've only been racing for a bit over a month now and our fitness is starting to get good.<br />
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Brad, Dan, Anthony, Al, Mike, Stephen, Jackson, Mukunda, and Ben are some of the coolest guys out there in the racing scene. We all get along really well and have a ton of fun in the parking lots before and after races.<br />
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I have been spending a bunch of time out in the Valley and hanging out with the team. We're not only a team, but a family. We have frequent community dinners at Al's house and talk about racing and riding as well as other passions we have. The biggest thing for me is having things outside of bike racing. I strive for balance in all areas of my life and that means getting off the bike on my easy days or rest days and doing other things. Like spending the day rock-climbing with my awesome girlfriend, jumping in the lake when it's way too cold out, or aimlessly riding around on my motorcycle and writing blogs at cafe's deep in rural NY.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwyRfmhvBFYCO1fd9foPCX5SWUqFLrpLJFMjiILOiPgkbn-GZrD7sQdevfqEOmoXIMtr2l-sq3ccjnHz09y28NIMt_KfcOAeU9NL0lqTpkYgYYdSx8zqPlpAXXXpfTT9NA1kAcoUcaXVV/s1600/528182_10151547664242580_1872466548_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwyRfmhvBFYCO1fd9foPCX5SWUqFLrpLJFMjiILOiPgkbn-GZrD7sQdevfqEOmoXIMtr2l-sq3ccjnHz09y28NIMt_KfcOAeU9NL0lqTpkYgYYdSx8zqPlpAXXXpfTT9NA1kAcoUcaXVV/s320/528182_10151547664242580_1872466548_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Being in a community of like-minded people that are striving for the same goals has been super inspiring and rewarding. Having guys like Al Donahue, Jeremy Powers, Mukunda Feldman, and Mike Busa as the leadership on the team has been great. They're all super busy, but always willing to listen to whatever it is that's on our minds. I had some fit issues after the Ninigrit criterium and Mike and Al dropped what they were doing and helped me tweak my bike. When it comes to analyzing how we're racing they're great as well. They have been doing this bike racing thing for a long time and know how a race will play out and how to make decisions during a race. This is all stuff I'm still learning, but we have some of the best leadership and mentors out there. I feel like in only a couple short months of racing I have learned more than the 2 years I've been training and racing.<br />
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On a side note, this is basically my last week as an undergraduate student! I just finished up writing a few 5 page finals and I had my thesis/degree project bound and it's ready to be handed in, 60 pages later!!!!!!<br />
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I will be graduating on May 18th, then going straight into grad school 2 weeks later!!! Craziness.<br />
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<br />The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-62497710250519878042013-04-22T08:39:00.001-07:002013-04-22T19:01:32.463-07:00I Hate Ninigret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A fitting title for my most highly loathed bike race in the world. What's the reason I hate this race so much? Is it the the 3 hour drive from the Berkshires on the most despotic highways in the Northeast? Is it the 40 mph, relentless winds that drop kick you in the face after that corner where I always strike my pedal? Is it Ben Wolfe putting everyone in the gutter on every lap whilst expelling a million watts? Or is the fact that I have terrible, stupid legs every time I show up for this race? I had a terrible race at Ninigret on Saturday. I had just come off a rest week and thought my legs would feel great. I quickly realized they did not. I only lasted about 30 minutes of the race, got dropped, went in the woods, cried, and screamed to the bicycle contest gods. My teammate Stephen Hyde got into the break and finished second behind Luchiano Pavan, Nice W Luch!!!!!<br />
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Ok, lets bag that race in the past. Every year I swear I won't race Ninigret and every year I show up, get crushed, and cry for 3 hours on the drive home. Sunday went MUCH better. I actually had my big boy legs on. It was just me and Hyde on Sunday, we showed up ready to be agressive, B, E, agressive.<br />
and agressive we were. From the gun we were trying to get something to go. The problem with a 1,2,3 race is that whenever anyone tries making a move happen, all the 3's go berserk and pull the move back but then won't pull through to make anything stick.<br />
So after this nonsense, something finally went and neither me or Hyde were in it. We knew it was going to stick and we had to be in that move. On the next lap we attacked HARD and made a split from the group and eventually bridged up to the break. With ten laps to go we started attacking the break and making people hurt, it was awesome. I would throw down an attack at the top of the hill and make the group chase me while Hyde sat in, and when they caught me Hyde would attack and I would sit in. We did this a few times and hurt peoples legs a bit. We ended up 8th and 9th which I'm happy with, but we could have played it smarter and finished a bit stronger. I learned a LOT about bicycle contests and had a solid finish in a pro/1/2/3 race, so I'm content with it.<br />
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Next week is Quabbin road race and it will be quite painful!<br />
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Check out our awesome new matching team shorts!!!!<br />
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The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-16557233419607073682013-04-08T11:28:00.002-07:002013-04-08T11:53:30.068-07:00Tis The Season!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three weeks ago marked the beginning of racing season here in New England.<br />
I am very stoked to be racing on, as Anthony Clark would say a "legitified" elite racing team.<br />
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Three weeks ago we had team camp. We all gathered at the JAM FUND headquarters in Easthampton and had an amazing weekend of racing and training. We began on Friday night with a team director meeting. Jeremy Powers, Mukunda Feldman, and Alec Donahue gave us the skinny about our job as JAM FUND/NCC elite racers.<br />
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Saturday early morning we were off to the races. The whole team packed up into 4 cars and headed out into NY state for our first race together. We lined up, the whistle blew and we started. A few attacks happened right from the beginning but nothing got away. There were 40mph winds that were holding off every attack that anyone put in. We raced well and had a couple guys in the top 10.<br />
Next weeks race would pan out much better. The wind held off for a beautiful 50 degree sunny day of racing. Anthony, Stephen, Brad and I were off the front covering moves and chasing down breaks throughout the race. No breaks formed and the race was super fast. We averaged 25mph for over 60 miles of racing. In the last lap my legs felt completely gassed, as everyone else's did, I'm sure. The JAM Fund train set up perfectly into the last 1km of the course. Al and I led a hard surge into the last corner, setting our sprinter, Mike Busa up perfectly for the straight away. Al put in a million watt surge and slingshotted me and Busa around him. Busa then carried his million watt sprint across the finish line in 3rd. My sprint was sub-par and landed me in 11th.<br />
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Overall the team is working well together and our first three races of the season have been successful.<br />
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We are all looking forward to an amazing season of racing and hope to see you all out there in the NE circuits.<br />
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A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors this season.<br />
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<a href="http://www.sram.com/">SRAM components</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.focus-bikes.com/int/en/home.html">FOCUS bikes</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.eastoncycling.com/en-us/">EASTON wheels</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.rudyproject.com/">RUDY PROJECT helmets and glasses</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.vomax.com/">VO MAX kits</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.clifbar.com/">CLIF nutrition</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.fizik.it/en/">FIZIK saddles</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nohobikeclub.org/nccwp/">Northampton Cycling Club</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.northeastsolar.biz/">Northeast Solar</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.valleybikeandskiwerks.com/">Valley Bike</a><br />
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<a href="http://stonybrookvalleyfarm.com/">Stony Brook Valley</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TartBakingCo">Tart Bakery</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mysticartists.com/about">Mystic Artists Film Production</a><br />
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<br />The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-60990863337785118812013-02-15T08:34:00.000-08:002013-02-15T08:34:27.496-08:00Grad School-California-<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever completely put yourself out there to the universe? Have you ever taken the plunge into something you thought was "jumping into the deep end"? Well, thats how I roll.When it comes to racing in my first pro/1/2/3 road race, or randomly decideing to ride my bicycle across Asia, I try not to get in my head, I try not to think myself out of it, I simply commit myself 100% and dive in. <br />
Elephant journal writer, Karl Saliter just wrote this piece about me. <a href="http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/02/cutting-loose-biking-from-iraq-to-cambodia/">Iraq to Cambodia</a><br />
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I recently applied to graduate schools. I know my dharma (calling) is to help people and do meaningful work in this world. One of my goals is to design and implement mind/body/spirit programs in the VA system to help veterans (like myself) treat and recover from PTSD. Anyways, I applied to the two spectrums of graduate school. Smith, and Westfield state. I kind of applied to Smith on a whim, I knew it was the BEST masters of social work program in the US and I knew that my grades would not get me in :-). I pretty much wrote it off. My application was late and they had to give me an extention to get all my material in. I was sitting around doing school work last week and I saw the mailman make his daily delivery. I casually walked outside and grabbed the mail. Seeing a packet from Smith, I immediately thought it would be that letter saying "I regret to inform you". My roommate Maryann was in the kitchen when I opened it and tears came to my eyes. Not only did I get accepted to the school for social work at Smith, I recieved a full scholarship, including tuition, housing, and meals for the full two year program!!!! I was high, I freaked out and started calling all my friends and family that have helped me throughout the years. I graduate from Burlington College with a degree in Psychology May 24th and then go straight into grad school a week later! Smith is a 10 week academic summer intensive followed by 9 months of field placements/internships for two years. <br />
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I work in the cafe at Kripalu and recently we started carrying a new nutrition bar, Thunderbird Energetica /<a href="http://thunderbirdenergetica.com/">THUNDERBIRD</a>. They are 100% raw bars with the best ingredients sourced from the best sources out there. This is the only bar on the market that has nothing processed. It's the cleanest fuel out there. Even the so called "raw organic" bars out there use agave and rice syrup which are two highly processed sweeteners. Katie, Taylor, Leslie, and Kirk run the show. They're a small artisan company focused on bringing the best quality product to the market. Each bar is hand-made with tons of love! Check them out and buy a box online, mention me and get free shipping!! I was so excited about having these bars for long base rides. I normally go through 4-5 bars per ride when I'm out there for 4 hours a day. That adds up to a LOT of calories consumed on the bike. I like to source my energy on the bike in the purest way possible. So I contacted Thunderbird in Austin Texas and they immediately recruited me as their east coast brand ambassador. I am stoked to say they're flying me to California on March 6th to meet the team and attend a natural foods expo in Anaheim. We'll be promoting and spreading the word of this amazing product.<br />
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On another front, it's almost racing season!!! The days are getting progressively warmer (kind of) and I've been riding big base miles every week, between writing a 50 page thesis! I am so stoked to be riding for JAM fund this year. This is a huge opportunity for me to take my racing to a whole new level. This will be my first year of racing in the Pro/1/2 field in New England. I am feeling very strong from a good cyclocross season and will be in good shape from doing a ton of yoga/gym work/base miles these last couple months. I'm hoping to peg some really good results when I can find time to race between grad school and life. <br />
I'm basically taking my brothers place on the team. He signed a big boy pro road contract with Optum Pro Cycling Presented By Kelly Benefit Strategies.<a href="http://www.optumprocycling.com/">Optum</a> He's in California at a team camp right now. I'm so proud of him for following his dreams and now being legit, well knows top US rider!!! Check out his website! <a href="http://jeremydurrin.com/">Jeremy Durrin</a><br />
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Here's a super goofy picture of us when I first started racing bike!!HAHAHAHAHA This was Jeremys second year I believe. The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-61549825458869048352013-01-11T17:37:00.000-08:002013-01-11T19:56:51.656-08:00Avalanche livinWaking up to a wood stove, a gigantic french press and a big bowl of granola, fruit, and yogurt made for a good beginning of an epic day of backcountry splitboarding!<br />
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We hit the road for Silverton at 9am leaving from Grand Junction. The air was a crisp 12 degrees and the skies looked of looming danger in the horizon. As Blair was driving his trusty 4-wheel drive ford pickup truck, I pulled out my Iphone and checked the backcountry avalanche forecast. Overnight, Silverton was dumped on by mother nature, clocking in at over 3 feet of powder in some areas. The avalanche forecast called a high alert for avalanches all over the San Juan mountain range which is exactly where we were headed.<br />
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After about 2.5 hours of driving, we had just passed an ice climbing competitions in a small town where we started climbing a long mountain pass. Winding switchbacks, no guardrails, and snow covered roads led up and around a fantastically big mountain range. I could feel my heart starting to race, my palms starting to sweat. Completely out of my element I looked up at the snow-covered mountains and said to Blair, "what are we doing?" He chuckled and in a stoic voice said, "were gonna have a blast." I was reassured, Blair has been backcountry splitboarding for a long time. He taught me about digging avalanche pits, reading the layers of snow, and making decisions on where to shred. We decided we would stick to the tree lines and not go out into to the open mountain faces because of the avalanche warnings.<br />
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We got over the mountain and on the descent into Silverton there was a snow blasting crew. They were posted up in the middle of the road, not letting anyone pass. They were shooting this giant grenade launcher to create "controlled" avalanches and sending them straight into the roads, after the avalanche comes tumbling down, they send in machinery to clear out the roads after blasting. This is to keep natural avalanches from happening while cars are on the roads! Crazy stuff!! We parked about 20 miles south of Silverton and pulled out the splitboards. For those of you who don't know, splitboards are snowboards that come apart down the middle and act as backcountry skis. You put special skins on the bottom of them that make it easier to make your way through deep powder and hike to the top of wherever you're going to start shredding, then you put them back together and snowboard down. <br />
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After a quick drill on how to use my avalanche beacon we hit the trail, packs on our backs. The skis crunched lightly on the deep powder and we were soon in the thick Colorado backcountry skinning up slopes that make Butternut look like an ant hill. We hiked to the top of a beautiful forest and got to it.<br />
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Powder boarding is a whole different beast than the hard packed trails I grew up on in New England. The powder was about 6 feet deep and it was absolutely the most epic thing I have ever done. I felt like I was in one of those crazy backcountry movies. Blair was like a seasoned veteran floating lightly down and making subtle turns to float his way through the powder. I was more like a toddler flailing my way through the deep powder. I fell down a lot. At one point I was in front of this giant pile of snow and Blair was right below it, he called for me to just lean back and get the front of my board over it. Little did I know it was a giant tree that had fallen down. I leaned back got the front over and then tumbled head first into a giant pillow of powdery goodness. Talk about a pow shot to the face!!!<br />
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<br />
I made it though!!!! My first real Colorado backcountry experience, a goal I have had for a LONG time was accomplished. I felt a deep sereneness in my heart and gave Blair a giant hug and felt super grateful for the relationships I have created in my life. With giant mountains all around us I felt a deep connection and happiness. We're now chilling in Silverton about to grab some grub and head back out for an entire day in the backcountry again tomorrow!!!The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-67759454678435792592013-01-08T11:31:00.002-08:002013-01-08T11:31:36.999-08:00Personal Sketch A bunch of people have asked me to share my personal sketch for graduate school. So here it is, along with a couple pictures, one of me in the military, one very current one of me racing and another from my travels in SE Asia.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The sounds of mortars exploding
filled the warm, dry, July air in northern Iraq, as they did on so many nights.
This night was different though; the mortars were exploding only 15 feet from
our tent. I had never moved as fast as I had that night. Shrapnel tearing
through our tent and explosions landing so close I couldn’t hear the screams of
my fellow soldiers. It took me years of healing to recover from my experiences
in Iraq.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Only 19 years old and looking for a
purpose in life, thinking I didn’t have a shot at college I joined the
military. I spent two years on active duty and was deployed to Iraq at the
fragile age of 19. Seeing the abhorrent conditions and direction the US
military was taking this country in, I became bitter and stuck in a war I
didn’t truly believe in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP9v9z_QR5pzMUUiAzQcqkkYNwzmAXIP2JCGwmqcjWFU2b_h-qN14cXpzEtGV08C55vCH5_4lED_JYJA2_FDbJwzXjlax8vFPHFHmj4biVYytC6Rp6MFsZY4kqFJ9Ew9ueSP6VGz2qhv2/s1600/Army+Tim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP9v9z_QR5pzMUUiAzQcqkkYNwzmAXIP2JCGwmqcjWFU2b_h-qN14cXpzEtGV08C55vCH5_4lED_JYJA2_FDbJwzXjlax8vFPHFHmj4biVYytC6Rp6MFsZY4kqFJ9Ew9ueSP6VGz2qhv2/s320/Army+Tim.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Returning from Iraq, my life spun
out of control. Receiving
inadequate reintegration into normal society, I began drinking to cope with the
trauma I had experienced. After several months of living in misery I made a
decision to turn my life around. I moved to a small rural town in the
Berkshires and reconnected with my family’s Native American heritage. Growing
up, I spent every weekend of my childhood attending Powwows all around New
England. I participated in sweat lodge, dancing, drumming, and many other
ceremonies. It became a part of me. Through reconnecting to my roots and
returning to weekly powwows I found a sense of purpose and connection with
something greater than myself. </div>
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I found a part-time job at a health
and wellness center. And another part-time job at a substance abuse
rehabilitation center, taking clients on three-day therapeutic nature based
camping trips. This opened a whole new world of healing and transformation.
While working, I started taking classes at a local community college and
eventually earned an associates degree in liberal arts. After a year of working
at this health and wellness center I had come to learn a lot about my healing
process and myself. I wanted to give back, to make amends for the things I had experienced
at war. I knew if I went on a mission to give back in Iraq I would surely be
killed or captured. I decided to go on a journey to Southeast Asia and do what
I could for a country impacted negatively by the US military. I decided to
spend a large part of my journey in Cambodia, getting to know the people, and
helping where I could. I chose Cambodia because of the ripple effect of the
Vietnam War and the rise of the Khmer Rouge killing millions of innocent Khmer
people. I took off with a plane ticket to Bangkok, my bicycle, and a backpack
with some gear. This would start a six thousand mile, four countries,
six-month, life-changing journey. Before I left, I threw a big party and was
able to raise over two-thousand dollars to fund my philanthropic journey. The
party was an idea of mine, but I quickly had people and businesses from all
over Berkshire County helping me out. Friends helped me approach local business
owners who gladly donated gift certificates or goods once they were educated on
my story and this quest I was about to embark on. Over 200 people came to the
benefit party that night, close friends, family members, local businesses, and
people who had read about me in articles written for both local papers, The
Berkshire Eagle, and The Berkshire Record. I couldn’t believe the amount of
support pouring in all around me. It was one of the most rewarding experiences
and greatest parties of my life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
This trip changed my life and the
way I saw the world. I learned the true meaning of the word compassion and
humility. Traveling by bicycle, I rode through Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and
finally Indonesia. I came in close contact with poverty, sickness, death,
disease, hunger and sadness. I also saw the most beautiful acts of compassion,
selflessness, love, and kindness. Spending nights with families that would take
me in when it was getting dark and I had no place to sleep, also, with groups
of monks in Cambodia at pagodas all over rural landscapes. After traveling and
getting to know the people of Cambodia I decided to invest directly in them.
During my travels I met a young student named Len Laim, a young man who came
from one of the poorest provinces in rural Cambodia. He was extremely smart and
had taught himself English. He was studying medicine at the countries capital
in Phnom Penh. I spent two weeks, living as he did, including sleeping on the
floor of a pagoda. I got to know him well. He had great ideas of improving the
medical care in rural Cambodia and he inspired me to help where I could. I used
the money I had raised to buy him his first laptop, a second pair of school
clothes, and other simple amenities such as a fan for his overly cramped Pagoda
room and a simple mattress to sleep on. I used the other half of my money to
fund his rural school project. I spent time with his family in Siem Reap
province and met the school children and visited the school Laim had built with
his own hands. I updated a detailed blog of my entire trip and have posted
entries regularly for the past three years. <a href="http://www.timdurrin1.blogspot.com/">www.timdurrin1.blogspot.com</a>.
While in Siem Reap, recovering from a bicycle accident, I was flown to the
countries capital Phnom Penh to be interviewed by BBC. They later wrote an
article on my mission and journey in Cambodia. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBzWFQ8gsd_EDQPgoCd7Gw87QsNEotxXrD-gj4rZd3yQD_OE6u0g_GWQzOVP6EPijHw1S0mCmfEp-nPVwDh3FB226ADJWIMKtNFUTyS796So2YNNmfpWKpLtdeEI5daDph3jMeU2EUOKx/s1600/218563_10150160570997580_4499957_o+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBzWFQ8gsd_EDQPgoCd7Gw87QsNEotxXrD-gj4rZd3yQD_OE6u0g_GWQzOVP6EPijHw1S0mCmfEp-nPVwDh3FB226ADJWIMKtNFUTyS796So2YNNmfpWKpLtdeEI5daDph3jMeU2EUOKx/s320/218563_10150160570997580_4499957_o+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last March I was approached by
academy award winning producer Pamela Boll. She received my name from Steven
Cope, the Director of the Institute of Extraordinary Living at Kripalu. I did a
piece a for the IEL a couple years back on how yoga and meditation positively
impact soldiers with PTSD returning from Iraq. Pam wanted to feature me in a
documentary called “A Small Good Thing”. The documentary will be about
connecting to a more meaningful life and following your passions. They have been
filming me for the past year and even flew me to Alaska to film me with the
family I have up there. The movie will be released next spring.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
While working at the treatment
center I became fascinated by people and their stories of trauma and how they
chose the paths they were on. I enjoyed interacting directly with clients and
helping them figure out their problems and giving healthy advice. I decided to
pursue a degree in psychology. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I applied and was accepted to
Burlington College in Vermont to begin my studies in psychology. Working full
time and being in school full time was emotionally and mentally draining. Just
as important to me as my schoolwork was my self-care. I started racing bicycles
while in school for my associate degree. Inspired by my brother Jeremy,
professional bike racer for Optum-Kelly Benefit, I put all my physical practice
into training and living as healthy as I possibly could. I excelled at bike
racing and it became a lifestyle for me, one that would lead to a lifetime
practice. I pedaled through the amateur ranks of road and cyclocross racing,
excelling from category 5 to category 2 in just a years time, I now race at a
professional level for the JAM fund cycling team out of Easthampton. The amount
of passion and dedication I bring to everything I do shows in my racing,
academic, personal, and professional life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A strong belief in self-healing,
healthy living, making good decisions, taking responsibility, creating healthy
and nurturing support systems, and having a spiritual and physical practice is
why I believe Smith to be the best program for me. I believe I bring a lot to
the table and will be a great social worker once clinically trained. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyafTm3whYjok1EGoaiaiJ0pZwlaCBb7ueAJlf2usnqVogfJbWHysiNfKV-8IoayvDXKlhUXoExLSlUP8tBh2kwRLACDHxD8DmlJgwoo5VVbRkS1nl8jzhgPEHN0u1pmCZCRcRhn6DIVbj/s1600/77007_10151302446487580_2103503162_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyafTm3whYjok1EGoaiaiJ0pZwlaCBb7ueAJlf2usnqVogfJbWHysiNfKV-8IoayvDXKlhUXoExLSlUP8tBh2kwRLACDHxD8DmlJgwoo5VVbRkS1nl8jzhgPEHN0u1pmCZCRcRhn6DIVbj/s320/77007_10151302446487580_2103503162_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-60096454983233657792012-12-17T06:31:00.002-08:002012-12-17T06:31:33.397-08:00The Bittersweet End <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXR4K-kpMBZHuVbOOukAObRkpBfdwX5yJB-g4rdOI7NAZUqqbR07GvzoVPUp8G4PJuosql5Gk1gMs_fTByirvtQ8g_XLO42861C18TusHxNFd3KgKBmf4ntXRCDvFS9Y5V3J2Jrmp6BamU/s1600/333479_10200106729974856_1637806490_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXR4K-kpMBZHuVbOOukAObRkpBfdwX5yJB-g4rdOI7NAZUqqbR07GvzoVPUp8G4PJuosql5Gk1gMs_fTByirvtQ8g_XLO42861C18TusHxNFd3KgKBmf4ntXRCDvFS9Y5V3J2Jrmp6BamU/s320/333479_10200106729974856_1637806490_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's been an amazing season full of soul crushing defeats and a few little triumphs sprinkled in among the smashings.<br />
My big boy legs started coming around at the end of the season. After getting destroyed at the big UCI races and becoming accustomed to racing for 60 minutes instead of 45, my legs feel monumentally stronger. I am very happy to end the season on a very good note.<br />
I just took 2nd place at New England Regional Championships yesterday in the single speed race behind Nick Keough. The weekend before at Das cross I had a great finish as well. I have been consistently moving up the ranks in the big UCI races. My goal for next CX season, after a full elite season on the road is to be racing towards the front of the UCI races and earn some UCI points.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUYV00uD21AfUMqFG3yjfTbuTXejQGVU-uUSJpNQumfuqTCYXIX3kLu1GVWbRQSpMn_qfnl8KGvjhSdmRcOHYvI1mIL5YYcHVATpHks9eyiI2vjDHE4y-2xigWBB2ZYsxWigElzO8Y1SD/s1600/189988_10151257160242580_987050823_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUYV00uD21AfUMqFG3yjfTbuTXejQGVU-uUSJpNQumfuqTCYXIX3kLu1GVWbRQSpMn_qfnl8KGvjhSdmRcOHYvI1mIL5YYcHVATpHks9eyiI2vjDHE4y-2xigWBB2ZYsxWigElzO8Y1SD/s320/189988_10151257160242580_987050823_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am happy to announce that I will be racing for the JAM Fund elite squad on the road next season. This is a very good step for me. I will learn to race on a real team and learn the tactics necessary to excel at the elite/pro level.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctJ_pPnc2z-VV_NrDKUvdjWjVx-tX8cbj8_FXer8fyIBQjKmQ_ZvgxlX1ptFcn4LHYhZKsW6wsDD3embLgQlQ4suVHHT3TT9pOYgAmTiSArwbbrTwlFidBYHfGf3ScoLHet_jdxs0cg4d/s1600/74228_10101025827435482_1041580170_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctJ_pPnc2z-VV_NrDKUvdjWjVx-tX8cbj8_FXer8fyIBQjKmQ_ZvgxlX1ptFcn4LHYhZKsW6wsDD3embLgQlQ4suVHHT3TT9pOYgAmTiSArwbbrTwlFidBYHfGf3ScoLHet_jdxs0cg4d/s320/74228_10101025827435482_1041580170_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I started my CX season in August this year and raced a total of 27 CX races. Making my total number of races this year 58. It's amazing the amount of work needed to become a good bike racer. I'm at a point in my racing career where I feel I know my body very well. The countless hours that go into training have become an integral part of my life. I love it, I enjoy every aspect of being out on my bike and pushing my body to it's physical limits on a daily basis.<br />
Although the physical practice is a constant reminder that my body is adapting and becoming faster with every passing week, the mental practice of cycling is equally important. The bike has always been there for me, a meditation practice helping me flow through all the happy, sad, depressing, and confusing times in my life. Cycling is a way to see the world that most people never get to see. When I'm stressed out from school work or relationships I can hop on my bike and escape for a few hours, focusing on my body and connecting to nature as the world flows by. For me, cycling has become a lifestyle, a way to see the world that most (unless you ride) wil never understand.<br />
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I am very happy to go into an unstructured block of riding for the next couple weeks, catch up with people I haven't ridden with in a while and tie up some loose ends for school. I have one more semester until I finish my BA in Psychology and I'm also in the process of applying to graduate schools. I am headed to Colorado to see a friend and spend 10 days back-country splitboarding, doing yoga, hiking, and mtnbiking in Moab. I am very excited I've never been to CO and have been trying to get out there for years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRZy3ytVXrRJ6t0AbzQrF89jk1HN7iK553-5Ss0Y6TpcWZ_i47P72icn_PrNBe6CT93kFL5Oa4xxCSqu8gki75IcDvvMF9ayMMvyg-y1Zh0mmcEeaDOAJs6mnil_bcYzC_p8tSVYSmN8c/s1600/469795_10101207521354330_1496645494_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRZy3ytVXrRJ6t0AbzQrF89jk1HN7iK553-5Ss0Y6TpcWZ_i47P72icn_PrNBe6CT93kFL5Oa4xxCSqu8gki75IcDvvMF9ayMMvyg-y1Zh0mmcEeaDOAJs6mnil_bcYzC_p8tSVYSmN8c/s320/469795_10101207521354330_1496645494_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I just want to thank everyone who has been there for me this past year and really helped me excel in this sport and lifestyle. Al Donahue for being an awesome coach and helping me understand training, equipment, racing, and recovery. My brother Jeremy who has been an enormous influence. He just signed a legit pro contract and will be racing all over the world this season and next. The entire New England cyclocross community, we have the best racing scene in the country and some of the most amazing and talented riders in the world. Team NYCROSS for helping me out with race support and being the overall best CX team out there! We throw an amazing party at every NYCROSS event, if you didn't make it to the NYCROSS series this year, make sure you're there next year! Berkshire Bike and Board for always helping me out on the drop of a dime and being an awesome crew of guys (and gal).The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-88120888000440472362012-11-12T10:42:00.002-08:002012-11-12T10:42:21.540-08:00New bike and Amazing resultsIt's Sunday night, and I'm laying here in a food coma. I just destroyed an entire order of mango chicken korma and 2 giant things of naan bread. My body feels like it got hit by a truck. But I have a smile on my face. I took 6th place yesterday at Paradise cx frenzy and then 3rd today at the Bethlehem cup. These are the first two Elite races that I've actually gotten results at. I've been getting my face smashed at every UCI race I do, so it feels good to actually win some money and stand on a podium.<br />
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The course yesterday was awesome, the guys out at Paradise cx put on a really great event. The race takes place on a brewery, so theres a bunch of random people that have no idea what CX is, watching the shenanigans. The KMS kids were out in full force controlling the front of the race. They're so young and so fast.<br />
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The course today was even better! A huge thank you to Chuck Quackenbush (the greatest last name ever) for setting up the venue. Fast flowy corners, steep descents, corners you can drift both tires through, log crossings, a brutal run up, and a super grindingly steep ride up.<br />
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The race started super fast and Wayne Bray and Cory Burns took off like bats out of hell and ripped the first lap like lightning. I stayed with them and turned myself inside out to stay up front and focused. After 2 laps I looked back and saw no one. Wayne, Corey, and I had opened up a huge gap and were taking turns at the front going berserk. After 4 laps Cory broke off and Wayne eventually dropped me on the steep ride up. I held off 4th place and finished for my first podium in an elite race!!!! This is a big milestone for me. I have been getting stronger and faster and have been racing smarter every week. There's an incredible amount to learn about this sport and it's a long process.<br />
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Another big thank you to my team NYCROSS Presented by: VOmax! We have an amazing family of funny, ridiculously awesome people.<br />
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I just started riding a new cx bike. Thanks to Nate Lachance! The Felt FX3. What an amazing ride! Since I started pedaling this thing my ability to drive a bike has increased 10 fold. Super lightweight carbon frame equipped with Sram components. I built up an extra set of Major Tom wheels to XT disc break hubs and BAM you got yourself a super supple tubular ride. Now, on to the disc brakes. In my opinion, they are the single best improvement you can put on your bike. Through the whole race I'm breaking with one finger, even on steep descents. I can fly into corners and modulate my speed much better.<br />
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Overall, this has been an amazing season for me. My goal for next year is to snag some UCI points and be racing toward the front groups at bigger UCI events. A full season in the elite fieldf on the road will help me get there.The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-79435016251920165082012-10-02T07:38:00.004-07:002012-10-02T07:38:42.565-07:002 Crazy Months and CYCLOCROSS!!!This is my first blog post since the end of July. I have been insane busy. I will recap Aug and Sep and get to what's really on my mind, CYCLOCROSS!!!!<br />
I spent the first few weeks of August in Alaska. I had a film crew following me around for the first 5 days geting tons of footage. It was so amazing to spend time with all of my family up there. Ceremonies with uncle and grandfather, fishing and 4 wheeling with my cousin Randy, smoked salmon with Tabitha, County fair with Jocelyn, Jenn, and Terrance, Tanning hides traditionally with my uncle.<br />
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I came home from Alaska and went straight to a 7 day intensive high ropes course training in Vermont. Camped for a week Brattleboro and self-belayed from 60 feet to perform cut away rescues.<br />
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The tail end of August and all of September brought about my last year of school. I'm taking a full course load, 5 classes. While still training and racing every weekend and trying to work enough to eat food and pay rent on a regular basis I've had 0 time to blog. So I'm cranking this out right now while I feel motivated to. Sorry about all the typos and horrible sentence structure but I don't have the time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixS1meljuXRTF7D_1cUhUD1Yrt2wMoDt0vcfX65VqOUOsxBuQcrMrww0m4JJQQeu17LObBAlejbMw8eRGF5frg7y89TX7dc9-btMAB92MkL5vv8vON02jbDjWwehYb8CysnbcCbM2IpwaZ/s1600/334633_4223979010263_357570631_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixS1meljuXRTF7D_1cUhUD1Yrt2wMoDt0vcfX65VqOUOsxBuQcrMrww0m4JJQQeu17LObBAlejbMw8eRGF5frg7y89TX7dc9-btMAB92MkL5vv8vON02jbDjWwehYb8CysnbcCbM2IpwaZ/s320/334633_4223979010263_357570631_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKM2MFSE4UTE9q-wX4WP7n4trH4ahEFG28LUfAp9IR2o2oDq-mcGMx-83fmegydYsJDdmFkxW0veVvJsDA8V7-gDV6ztV6ON55veJnRcOGd0oHaVq9XJK2AFrB0p2kCpzNu-eRYSOiy63/s1600/timmyd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKM2MFSE4UTE9q-wX4WP7n4trH4ahEFG28LUfAp9IR2o2oDq-mcGMx-83fmegydYsJDdmFkxW0veVvJsDA8V7-gDV6ztV6ON55veJnRcOGd0oHaVq9XJK2AFrB0p2kCpzNu-eRYSOiy63/s320/timmyd.jpg" width="320" /></a>CYCLOCROSS!!!! Ahhhhhh I'm so stoked its cx time. I was so excited that I started racing in mid August. The first few races were a good test of my legs. I felt great on the bike. My fitness level is still way above my technical riding skills but I am hopeful they will come around. I've already raced Monson, Blunt Park, BOB cross, Quad cross, Blandford cross, White park, Suckerbrook, Midnight ride, and both days of Gloucester. I won Blandford cross and took podium at 2 others. Gloucester was my first shot at a UCI Elite race and it was by far the hardest bike race I have ever experienced, especially day 2. I have never ridden in mud like that before, the entire course was a mixture of peanut-butter textured and sloppy wet mud. I beat the predictor both days and didn't finish last. I think with a bit more technical skills I will (somewhat) competitive in this field.<br />
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Check out this video from day 1, <a href="http://vimeo.com/50526994">http://vimeo.com/50526994</a> You can see me at 1:10, I'm the guy in the black kit with the bright green helmet. Then, if you look very closely you can actually see Colin Reuter's hand fly back and karate chop me in the throat and send me into the fence, almost making me crash at 1:40<br />
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I hope to do more race and life reports over this CX season. I'm stoked to see everyone at the races and around !!!!The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-22933197775332031422012-07-28T04:55:00.000-07:002012-07-28T04:55:31.120-07:00Cat 2I thought to myself it's getting late in the road racing season and I only have a couple months left to really up my game and reach my goal of getting my category 2 upgrade. I knew what I had to do and I only had 3 races left before I took off to Alaska. I had to kill it at all three and get points to ensure I wouldn't be fighting for the few races left in the season when I returned from the frontier. I geared up and headed to Naugatuck Ct. this weekend. I opted out of the the Tour of the Hilltowns race on Saturday because last year my legs cramped up real bad and I ended up laying in the river about 4 miles from the finish. Hahahah ahhhhh that's a race I will never forget. I knew arriving at Naugatuck I had a good chance at doing well because there was only 25 people pre registered and I wasn't too worried about any of them. After getting to the race I started seeing some really fast dudes that hadn't pre registered online that were registering day of. I started sweating a little bit and knew I would have my work cut out for me in the race. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Right from the start of the race people were attacking. Two guys broke off the front on the first lap and stayed away for 4 laps. I knew not to follow them cause they couldn't hold it. After they returned into the pack a couple guys launched another brutal attack off the front. This happened time and time again and always got pulled back. It was a super fast and hard course to make a break on. With 20 laps to go I saw a break happen that I knew I had to be in, so I stood up, gritted my teeth and bridged up to the group pulling one other guy with me, all of a sudden we had a 100 foot gap on the field and 5 dudes in our break all working together. We held the break the entire race and with 5 laps to go another 3 guys bridged up to us and it was a brutal sprint for the finish. One guy started sprinting with about 400 meters to go so I knew I had to act now or I wouldn't make it, so I hit it hard and started sprinting and there it was, a long drawn out sprint. I had a strong finish and only 2 dudes just barely made it past me and I took 3rd, scoring me enough points in one race to get my upgrade!!!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAreoqc44UJd1HLzgrqf-3Z1Oc7o8gYKIWJVRrFt4qaPyitRDA6QA08BhOQPbHvdM8oz7JJoa_20vi45PKKhIedyTlL-YBymj0O7YWa-2-D300UPhxGrD0v38WNod66vQjnwq5Fag9_pm_/s1600/photo+(23).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAreoqc44UJd1HLzgrqf-3Z1Oc7o8gYKIWJVRrFt4qaPyitRDA6QA08BhOQPbHvdM8oz7JJoa_20vi45PKKhIedyTlL-YBymj0O7YWa-2-D300UPhxGrD0v38WNod66vQjnwq5Fag9_pm_/s640/photo+(23).JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJC3hcg4DfzJ4FOjgB_CfAr5FIvR7uplcZTaUvp4QH2cvXTMU-8uk56s7vY1e1538xmLra7-rDbFQodHtbyilLuNeLyLKk8i-m9tg_tsl40i-XGkiCTjGscFQ_f_12u5qguILVlUJX4dOI/s1600/photo+(24).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJC3hcg4DfzJ4FOjgB_CfAr5FIvR7uplcZTaUvp4QH2cvXTMU-8uk56s7vY1e1538xmLra7-rDbFQodHtbyilLuNeLyLKk8i-m9tg_tsl40i-XGkiCTjGscFQ_f_12u5qguILVlUJX4dOI/s400/photo+(24).JPG" width="298" /></a>So, I'm really happy and I have a great sense of accomplishment. I have been training my ass off all year to make it to this level of racing. I went from cat 4 to cat 2 in less than a year so I know I have potential at this sport even at the old man age of 27. Hahahah, so I am heading to Alaska on Monday with a renewed sense of self worth and happiness. I can relax and ride bikes in the beautiful mountains of Alaska and not worry about getting enough points to get my upgrade when I get home. I have my first races this weekend in the pro field at New London criterium on Saturday and then I'm doing the bike leg of the Pedal and Plod duathalon which is a 25 mile Time Trial on Sunday morning and then I'm racing the pro 1/2 crit at Limerock at 5 in the evening. So my legs are basically going to be destroyed for a long couple days of travel to Alaska. Then they will heal up and I'll start hanging out with my amazing family up north!!!!!!! I will write another blog after this weekend when I'm waiting at the airport! </div>
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I know I have my eyes closed in both of these pictures. I planned it that way, I swear. </div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-45283112252207908302012-07-05T09:07:00.000-07:002012-07-05T09:07:02.713-07:00PTSD sucks<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJHEaUy7smb0q3iis8ehNyFC3QNYOmpWnIZ3zR2XL0d37R0gTJhYy7U59_PXTF4dHGXNXszg5MWOMqyJJJsv8TTWmMVlZeNmw1t9TIahwIWURqYctTNAH_TzRqb1_kkfQPHLYpHqSdwjA/s1600/300828_10150297904992580_1010434_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJHEaUy7smb0q3iis8ehNyFC3QNYOmpWnIZ3zR2XL0d37R0gTJhYy7U59_PXTF4dHGXNXszg5MWOMqyJJJsv8TTWmMVlZeNmw1t9TIahwIWURqYctTNAH_TzRqb1_kkfQPHLYpHqSdwjA/s320/300828_10150297904992580_1010434_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>Yesterday was a day of fireworks and barbecues all over the country. While out on a bike ride I could smell a BBQ on every corner. It was not only a day of eating, watching people get drunk and light stuff on fire for me. I was eating dinner at Kripalu when my friend Carly asked me if I was going to hang out and watch the fireworks tonight. My reply has been the same for the last 8 years, since I came home from Iraq. I can't watch the fireworks because if I do, I usually end up freaking out. Theres few things that trigger my PTSD and bring me back to that vivid reality of mortars landing all around us, whether on a convoy through the Urban chaos or simply laying in bed trying to fall asleep. For years I would go to fireworks shows on the 4th of July and end up feeling isolated from everyone I was hanging out with. So now, when asked if I'm going to watch the fireworks show I simply tell people why I don't partake in the festivities. I'm self aware enough to know what what my triggers are around my experiences in Iraq. Also the 4th of July for me is a time of reflection on my time at war. A day of remembrance for the friends I lost to suicide and I.E.D. explosions. While the majority of people are having a good time, getting wasted and listening to James Taylor there are veterans all over the country in pain and remembering their experiences at war.<br />
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I am torn between many lives. Yes I did join the military when I was very young and I do not regret any of my time on active duty while stationed at Ft. Campbell and deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. Today I am very much against war and any type of violence. Then there's Independence day from a Native American view point. I could go on and on all day long about politics, government and Native rights but when I start getting in my head about all this stuff it just makes for so much negativity. Sooooo that's when I go for a bike ride!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PkXh11vUi7WSrQYkuzeVPZR5l1TCVZSrs2Sb-vYP3JxMh1Hp0X2uFnAZdMLbLBxgH8MEiwn6m4KdyGDEKeUoNjJNEIsXtz6q7IhgipHPzyIZgwXvJb2Zi3_tts28kglK_J2-XobC1-ek/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PkXh11vUi7WSrQYkuzeVPZR5l1TCVZSrs2Sb-vYP3JxMh1Hp0X2uFnAZdMLbLBxgH8MEiwn6m4KdyGDEKeUoNjJNEIsXtz6q7IhgipHPzyIZgwXvJb2Zi3_tts28kglK_J2-XobC1-ek/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a>I spent last weekend out in Northhampton with the J.A.M. team riding bikes!! It was a ton of fun. Saturday we were out on the bikes for over 8 hours!!! We didn't plan it that way but people flatted and had mechanicals. We rode over 5.5 hours, 100 miles, climbed 7,500 ft., burned over 4,000 cal. and had an amazing time. Then on Sunday we rode 5 hours again, climbed 5,500, burned over 3,000 cal and did the fundo loop. It was a hard weekend of training with an amazing group of bike racers. I learned a lot about my mental ability to ride really hard when my legs hurt really bad and just keep going. A lot of the pain in cycling is a mental thing and if you can push through that mental barrier your legs will open up and you will be attacking off the front!!!!The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-51379500050796263312012-06-26T11:20:00.001-07:002012-06-26T11:20:48.393-07:00Bike Racer by Day Magical Wizard by Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The scrambling and rearranging of riders in the last lap of a criterium is something both beautiful and extremely dangerous. Everyone trying to position themselves in the perfect line into that last corner. Lungs pumping as hard as they can, heart rate at 200 and legs feeling like they're going to explode. I was sticking to Mike Nortons wheel cause he was pulling me in for the finish. Whack! he pushes a rider out of the way on the 2nd to last corner, takes the last 90 degree corner around 30mph and lays it all out, putting me in perfect position for the final sprint. I grit my teeth, stand up and give it everything I have, the actin and myosin begin the craziest cross-bridge cycle and every motor neuron in my legs goes crazy, I keep my head down and just goooooo I cross the finish line to see 3 other dudes in front of me !!!! Nooooo!!!! I should have won this race. I was set up in the most perfect way for the sprint but I just couldn't catch the other 3 dudes that were positioned just a bit better than I was. Criteriums have historically been harder for me, I am a little guy and crits, especially flat crits like today cater to big muscular sprinter types so 4th place was a really good finish for me!!!! I am stoked, I won some money and snagged some upgrade points. So I am one step closer to racing in the elite/pro races!!! Later in the afternoon I raced in the category 1/2/3 pro race and did some racing with the BIG BOYS. It was a crazy fast race averaging just under 29mph, I was moving around through the pack and holding my own against the big boys, I ended up finishing 28th out of about 100 guys, so I was very happy with that finish as well. It was a very good day of bike racing especially when last weekend was the most horrible 2 days of bike racing I have ever experienced!<br />
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Ok now that I have explained the bike racer by day part, I wanted to touch on a part of my life that most of you didn't know. I'm pretty much a nerd at heart. I started playing a trading card game called Magic The Gathering when I was about 12 years old and I have never stopped. I don't know what it is about the game that keeps drawing me in. I usually only play in the dead of the winter when there's nothing else to do but a good friend of mine called me up yesterday and came over and we had a dork fest for about 3 hours. Picture dungeons and dragons mixed with lots of strategy and really cool playing cards and thats how Magic goes down! Some of the cards I collected when I was a kid are worth hundreds of dollars now! I had no idea these things were going to be worth so much money later on in my life! Anyways, I just wanted to share one of my weird secrets with the world. I have MANY more, so stay tuned.<br />
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<br />The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-2690077675069698432012-06-21T06:09:00.001-07:002012-06-21T06:23:13.593-07:00No More Caffeine???Thinking back on the last couple years I can't think of a single day I went without that delicious caffeinated morning beverage that we all hold so dear to our hearts. I decided that it was time to take a break from that harmless substance I have grown so fond of.<br />
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This past weekend I was in Maryland racing a big stage race out in the heartland. It was probably the worst weekend so far this year of bike racing for me. Everything that could have gone wrong did. After driving 6 hours to get there early Saturday morning I hopped out of my car and warmed up for a while and went right into the race. I was feeling pretty good until the last 10 miles of the race where I felt a tiny twinge in my hamstring and my calf and we all know what come after that little twinge. The seizing off all muscular performance. On the last steep climb I stood up to move up in the pack and position myself for the sprint and not one, but both of my hamstrings completely locked on every rotation of the pedal stroke. It was horrible, I was able to downshift and spin my legs and stay with the pack but I finished 14 seconds off the leader and knew I had to work very hard in the time trial the next day. </div>
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My buddy Travis and I headed to our hotel and proceeded to fill every receptacle we could with ice, we emptied the hotels ice machine and dumped it all in our tub and we each took a 10 minute ice bath to help recover our legs. I went to set up my TT bike for Sunday morning and realized I forgot my TT helmet at home!!!! DOHH!!! and as I was setting up my bike I realized that the rear de-railer cable was all frayed and chewed up so my TT bike was useless. I ended up doing the TT on my road bike and I got beat by a lot of dudes. Then in the evening crit I was giving it everything I had just to stay in the pack. About 100 dudes started and only half of them finished so it was a super fast race and my hamstrings were sore to the touch and not working properly. It was a horrible weekend of bike racing and I am going to take it as a learning experience and move on. Theres always next weekend!!!! I'll be racing the category 3 and the pro race this weekend in Hartford on Sunday.<br />
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After this weekend of terrible bike racing I am giving up caffeine and dairy for the week to cleanse my body and get it up to par for this weekend. I felt like poop on Monday morning and only had one decaf coffee in the morning. I had a dull headache all day and felt horrible, hahahah I didn't realize how dependent my body had become on caffeine. Tuesday and Wednesday were a bit better, and today I feel much better and just had a cup of tea. </div>
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Yesterday the film crew came to my place to get some footage of me and my parents hanging out, it was a really nice day. I don't get to see my folks too much so it was nice that they got to come spend the day at my new place. We went swimming in the green river later in the afternoon, a much need reprieve from the crazy hot day we had.<br />
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Also, congrats to my buddy Travis Kroot for cleaning up this weekend at the race! He finished 2nd GC at the stage race. While I had the worst weekend of bike racing he was at his best!!! Well played sir!!<br />
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</div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-43297203104756318682012-06-14T17:56:00.000-07:002012-06-14T17:56:10.703-07:00Quarter Life Crisis<br />
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Returning from a 3 day trip on the mountain I am a bit fatigued from the emotional availability I must call upon during these trips. I love my job and I am always inspired by how being in nature gives permission to small groups of men to open up in a natural setting. But being emotionally tired has never stopped me from going on a bike ride!!!! I hopped on my bike and reflected over the past few days and about life in general. Last week was one of those "what am I doing with my life weeks." You know, the days that all of us get periodically no matter how well our lives are going. Anyways, I was talking with two dear friends of mine Justin and Tim this week and they were huge inspirations and fueled my creative drive to turn the things I love into a career/lifestyle. "Make your vocation your vacation and you will never work a day in your life" a good friend once said to me. So this is what I have been thinking about over the last week. How can I create meaningful work that I enjoy doing??<br />
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Now I've been thinking, there is a documentary in the works that will feature me as one of the main roles and I have been thinking a lot about the opportunities that being in a documentary directed by an Academy Award winning documentarist (is that a word?) will bring my way. I have NO idea what this means, if it means anything at all. I met up with 2 good friends of mine and marketing genius's Jonathan and Nicole to brainstorm ideas. They gave me some amazing advice and I think I am going to make a website. I will probably move my blog and link it with the website and other than that I have no idea!!!! I had so many creative ideas pop into my head over the last couple days as to where I would like to see myself a year or even 5 years down the road career wise. It's still very unclear but I have a creative drive and the energy to follow through on it. All I will say is I want to do something with cycling, psychology, the natural environment and helping people. Other than that I am wide open to any suggestions or what people think I would be good at doing. I just felt like I had to write about all of this and put it out into the world. </div>
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This past weekend I raced The Nutmeg series criterium in New Britain Ct. and the Massachusetts state road race championships in Taunton on Sunday. The whole previous week I was sick with a horrible cold and missed a whole week of training. The most I rode was an hour each day during the week. I was very grateful for rest and having the week off to actively recover. I don't think our place has even been as clean as it was, I am horrible at laying around and doing nothing!!!! Come Saturday I was still congested and coughing but I was sick of laying around and resting and wanted to see where my legs were at. I started the race and about 10 laps in my legs were feeling amazing and I was following moves and got into a break after a preem, it only stuck for 2 laps then the pack swallowed us up. The race was fast at 26 mph and people were being very agressive and sketchy. I was 5th wheel coming around the last corner and I knew I had it in my legs to be in contention for the sprint and as we flew through the final corner my bike was leaning so far and as I went to stand up and sprint my shoe popped right out of my pedal and 10 dudes flew right past me. It was horrible and I was so bummed for a while. I accepted it pretty quickly and stored it in my mind so I don't ever make that mistake again. </div>
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Sunday went much better. As soon as the race started a break of 10 dudes went and I was hanging out in the back of the pack talking to friends, I didn't even see them ride away!!!!! We raced for about 3 hours and the break stuck and stayed away for the whole race. On the last lap, on the climb to the finish we saw the break, the pack went crazy and started riding really fast so we could catch them and we did!!!! It was insane, I though they were gone. I hit the climb and went as hard as I could, passing almost all 10 of the dudes in the break. I snagged 8th place and I'm very content</div>
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I am heading to Maryland for the weekend to rock a stage race out there. Should be very interesting. I have been racing against the same faces every weekend all around New England and will be racing against 100 new guys this weekend. Saturday is a road race and Sunday is a Time trial int he morning and a criterium race in the evening. Should be........ interesting!!!! </div>
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</div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-31799051244088913082012-05-31T11:13:00.000-07:002012-05-31T11:13:21.915-07:00Shenanigans at KillingtonIt's 1pm on Thursday afternoon and I am completely burnt out from this past week. Driving up to Killington Friday night to race Sat, Sun, and Mon then rushing home Monday night to pass out and wake up to take a group of 11 men on a 3 day therapeutic camping trip has left me worthless on this perfectly beautiful afternoon. So I will write this blog in a relieved daze from my couch with the window open.<br />
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Let's start with Killington Mountain Stage Race. It was my second ever stage race and first 3 day race. I met up with my buddies Krystian, Luciano, Dan, Brad, Braedin, and Uri up in Killington, we rented a 2 bedroom condo to fit all 7 of us for the long weekend. The first day of racing was a 72 mile circuit race. On the 2nd lap the pack was descending a mountain at around 45mph and all of a sudden a big group of people were crashing in front of me and I knew right away I could do nothing about this because I was in the middle of the pack and the crash was happening directly in front of me. So I grabbed both breaks as hard as I could and braced myself, sure enough I slammed right into somebody, went over my bars and landed right on top of Hot Tubes rider Curtis White, then someone crashed on top of me and drove their front wheel into my lower abdomen, right where I had a hernia operation about 3 years ago. Everything happened so fast and as soon as we all came to a stop I jumped up, grabbed my bike, put my chain back on, realized my bike was ok and hopped on. I was the only rider in that crash to get up and immediately start chasing the pack down. The group was about 100 yards away and I knew I had my work cut out for me to chase them back. My heart-rate sky-rocketed and my legs were burning so badly I just could not clear the lactic acid from them. I rode so hard that I saw stars and got tunnel vision. It took me about 20 minutes of going as hard as I could to catch back onto the group and when I finally caught the back I proceeded to throw up all over myself. It felt so good to know I was in contention again. We rocked a couple more laps of very agressive riding and I made the right move at the end and was in the clear for the sprint, so I went for it and took 3rd in the field sprint grabbing some upgrade points for the weekend!!!<br />
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The second day was an 11 mile time trial and I have only done a handfull of practice time trials and this would only be my second official one. I am borrowing a bike from a local guy Peter Greer, here in the Berkshires and the bike is a bit small for me with an integrated seat-post so I didn't have the option of making the post higher. So I took things into my own hands and got creative. I took an extra saddle I had lying around and duct taped it to the original saddle. Now this looks ridiculous but is very effective and it made the bike a perfect fit for my long femurs. I took 24th in the Time Trial and I was content with my time of 26:50 for the 11 miles.<br />
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The third day was a brutal 62 mile road race through the mountains of central Vt. The race started on a 25 mile descent over some of the worst condition roads I have raced on. People's bottles were flying out and it was just very sketchy riding. After the long descent there was a brutal climb up this steep hill and I ended up in a group of about 25 guys for the rest of the race. About 5 miles before the final climb to the top of Killington the larger group we had dropped caught us and all 80 of us were together for the start of the giant climb. This climb was super brutal, I have never raced up something so steep before. Picture the steepest part of the north side of Greylock and make that 5 miles long, it was horrible. I don't think I have suffered that much on a bike ever (I say this about every race). Anyways, I ended up in 21st place in this race which got me 20th place overall for the GC.<br />
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I learned a lot about how I race this past weekend and I know I have a lot to work on. But hey, anything worth doing is worth doing right, same goes with anything in life.<br />
So this weekend was a total success, I am happy I didn't get horribly hurt in that high speed crash and I wish a speedy recovery to the 7 or so dudes who were taken to the hospital and sustained injuries.<br />
My next big race is the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic!!!! Hometown race. This will be my first time doing the Longsjo and should be a really fun weekend. The whole family will be there watching and hopefully my fitness will be peaking and I can do really well at this one! <br />
I just spent the last 3 days on the mountain with an amazing group of men in early recovery. We had some musicians and all of them really wanted to be there which made for a really great trip. I was able to teach them some nature therapy stuff and get them out having direct experiences in nature, I love my job and my co-worker Jeremy Lombard rocks as well.<br />
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That's all for now!!! See ya'll soon!!!!!<br />
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<br />The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-87005994704467742962012-05-22T07:06:00.003-07:002012-05-22T07:06:58.091-07:00It's pouring outside on this beautiful Berkshire morning, any time it's raining and I don't feel like riding bikes I become productive. In this case my productivity is taking the form of blogging. The semester just ended and I've been insane busy writing papers for weeks straight. I finally have some time to breathe in the morning, enjoy some french press coffee, and reflect on where my life has gone in the last few months since my previous blog. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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School has been crazy this semester, I just finished up over 100 pages of writing. I have been racing bikes and training like a mad man this season! I have been racing every weekend since mid March and becoming consistently faster and stronger. I took 2nd place at the Wayne Elliot memorial race when Dan Ouellette made a super hard hard move on the last lap when everyone was tired (including me) I jumped up, sprinted as hard as I could and followed him, we stayed away on a long straight away, took a hard right into a long climb and just took turns on the front hammering as hard as we could. It felt amazing to see the group behind us getting smaller and smaller. I was so excited when I realized we broke away, I was yelling YES YES!!! Dan yelled at me to calm down and I did. We caught 2 guys who had broken away and we worked together till the end where Dan took me in the sprint, but I took the other 2 guys and rolled away with 2nd place and some cash in my pocket. It felt good to make money doing something I love!!! </div>
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Since Wayne Elliot I have done a handful of other really fun and painful sufferfests of races. I did my first stage race ever up in Vt. at the Tour of the Dragons and finished 15th overall and snagged a couple upgrade points. I was content with this finish but I know I can finish stronger in a long stage race. I have another coming up this weekend in Killington Vt. It's a 3 day stage race. I will blog about that next week. </div>
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I am being featured in a documentary called "A Small Good Thing" directed by Academy Award winning Pamela Boll. She approached me a few months ago and when I heard from her I was very skeptical. After doing some research I found out Pam won an Academy award for the movie "Born Into Brothels" so this was no joke. After meeting with Pam, Kerthy, and Paula I knew right away I wanted to be a part of this project. All three of them are amazing people who are really trying to tell peoples stories and shine a light on the things this country needs more of. Anyways we have done a few filming sessions and Pam and her crew are legit! I thought it was going to be her and maybe one other person working on it. The morning of filming at my place she rolls up with 3 vehicles and an entire crew rolls out!!! It was insane, huge cameras and sound and lighting equipment! They have been following me around riding bikes and filmed me dancing with my family at a powwow. This summer they're flying me and the crew to Alaska to film me, my uncle and grandfather in ceremony and my uncle is teaching me the traditional way of brain-tanning hides. I have been trying to get out there for the last few years and now I have my chance!! Awesome stuff. </div>
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That's all for now, I will be updating my blog this summer until classes start up again and I have no time!!!!! As usual I am super grateful for the people in my life and for living a simple life of bike riding and community! </div>
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Heres a link to an article that Mary Arata wrote for Nashoba Publishing about the powwow this past weekend. <a href="http://www.nashobapublishing.com/ci_20676126/iraq-war-veteran-fitchburg-native-filmed-at-devens">http://www.nashobapublishing.com/ci_20676126/iraq-war-veteran-fitchburg-native-filmed-at-devens</a></div>
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Oh and on another note I chopped all my hair off. I hadn't cut it in a year and a half and it was about 14 inches long!!!! The dirty hippie look has (somewhat) disappeared.<br /><div>
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</div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-65307522396907192932012-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:002012-01-19T09:07:23.170-08:00Espana<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3viF5Yx7sUm6iWFUbLeSSXj7Zjy4RmfEuANAVlSyxSs9DDdTV1wmpccv2eea6OZ6xFptTkHvepyHE0p29HOphvSGkzHfvQfCch218hcZB-sRpWkVXZVwn1ph0LZO1uaJGGQovMjoANbS/s1600/323486_3003020041803_1451423614_2987810_962792934_o.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3viF5Yx7sUm6iWFUbLeSSXj7Zjy4RmfEuANAVlSyxSs9DDdTV1wmpccv2eea6OZ6xFptTkHvepyHE0p29HOphvSGkzHfvQfCch218hcZB-sRpWkVXZVwn1ph0LZO1uaJGGQovMjoANbS/s400/323486_3003020041803_1451423614_2987810_962792934_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699388979252302306" /></a><br />I am bringing the blogging action back!!! My last post was in August 2011. I have plenty of reason to get back to it now! I left Tuesday night and drove back to Fitchburg and got there around 7pm, I checked my email and Jeremy had sent me an email telling me he broke his shifter in the world cup in France that day. So unless I brought a sram shifter with me to Granada I would be S.O.L. and have to buy a brand new shifter at around $100. So I called every person I could in the Fitchburg area and NOONE had an extra sram shifter. I finally called Al Donahue in East Hampton and he hooked me up! I had to drive a few extra hours to get the shifter though. So the mission was successful and I left for Spain the next morning. It took me about 36 hours of traveling to get to Granada. My flight from Boston to Philly was horrible, we got on the plane and had a wind delay and then after we landed there was no term<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuOYUZYpQfFkahWaonKIkp_nhQCiPO9s7Lb6Y_AXuOBgLNptshX1wjBediBu_aSP2uQ_H70gch-oXvGlWir_VZno7E-YSUCfv3iJozJYa20iJe4f9JgJ0sRgyNKSLshQ0Iu6mep91Oupf/s320/416081_3003011681594_1451423614_2987802_2101302827_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699389437905029538" />inal to park in and then when we finally found one, there was a luggage cart stuck in front of it. So I had to run to my next terminal which was of course on the other side of the airport, like a mile away. I made it just in time to be the last person to board the plane. When I landed in Madrid, I learned my brother had missed his flight in Brussels and I had to sit in the Madrid airport for 5.5 hours waiting for him. So I tried to sleep and nothing happened. He finally showed up with these 2 huge bike bags and we had to drag all of our luggage to the shuttle which dropped us off in downtown Madrid and we continued to drag all our crap into the train terminal which took us to the bus station. It was a lot of work and we were finally south bound on the bus. It was so good to catch up with him and hear all about his Euro racing adventures. <div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>After a 5.5 hour bus ride we</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXR7cBy7gKB3KRq_D0B_Y-juhwPMN6A7JIe4fexijXVyR56KFSBJqJe6trEjBYs7DTj6vzFtSdPOl3WJbG8aJuT59uXbvDGOUUJ0SY866BPZgDOpy2c_rhasxYhgdmuTO35GM9qVMj_iS3/s320/414450_3003025161931_1451423614_2987814_903740033_o.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5699390064900585810" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline; float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /> finally arrived in Granada. The bus ride from Madrid was long and when we left, the landscape was not that beautiful, and the further south we drove, the more epic the landscape turned. Field after open field of hilly olive tree orchards, beautiful mountain ranges that seemed to grow with each hill we passed.<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My friend from the Berkshires was waiting for us at the bus station and helped us get a taxi and brought us to his friends place near downtown Granada, I am staying with Christina and her boyfriend in one apartment and Jeremy is staying with this guy names Jonas right across the hall, we both have our own bedrooms and we are totally hooked up. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>We had a nice pasta dinner with our hosts and got to know them a bit and joked around all evening with good food and drinks and I passed out and ended up sleeping for 13 hours!!!! I was soooooo tired and Jeremy came and knocked on my door at noon and told me to get my ass out of bed. We chilled and made coffee and breakfast and got our bikes all put together and ready to go. We couldn't wait to hit the road and ride these epic, epic roads around Granada. Marc came and got us and we hit the countryside for a nice 2 hour easy spin. I can't even descride how beautiful the landscape here is. In the backdrop is the Sierra Nevada mountain range, with peaks around 10,000 feet and every other direction you look are beautiful mountains. The roads , once you get out of town are small and wind through olive tree fields, there are people on bicycles everywhere, and after one ride in the countryside I can see why there are so many cyclists. A group of roadies were with us leaving town for the first 30 minutes of our ride, and they didn't speak a word of English. It was pretty awesome. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>After our ride, we headed into downtown to meet up with some friends. Barcelona was playing Madrid in a soccer match, so we headed into a local bar for drinks and tapas to watch the game. It was totally crazy, Spanish people LOVE soccer, the whole bar erupted with cheering and screaming when Madrid scored a touchdown :-).</div><div>Anyways, I'm being long winded. It's Thursday now and we just got back from an amazing 4 hour ride through the bost beautiful scenery. I am so tired and will write more later!</div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-71641631970474244522011-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:002011-08-22T09:30:50.063-07:00From Rocket Launcher to Hipppie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyHXxypMA0GBGhPh7l_e9Dznpsi1pEGnAlTNqv2STxVSR_gynFgjKVRbN0hA7hq6DRV8rBzhMvq_eII9IZfr_r8i5gfnPBMSg2Xnk2ZhNh6iNSlr5YY8pE6U4FB4XY7QP_iVXEGaX4P4w/s1600/286797_1931966818490_1221840061_31736962_4052280_o.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyHXxypMA0GBGhPh7l_e9Dznpsi1pEGnAlTNqv2STxVSR_gynFgjKVRbN0hA7hq6DRV8rBzhMvq_eII9IZfr_r8i5gfnPBMSg2Xnk2ZhNh6iNSlr5YY8pE6U4FB4XY7QP_iVXEGaX4P4w/s400/286797_1931966818490_1221840061_31736962_4052280_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643714347522508530" border="0" /></a>
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<br />Summer has been pretty sweet so far. I have been racing my bike a decent amount. Some jackass at the Concord criterium crashed me. We had 5 laps to go, my heart was pumping, and my legs were feeling awesome, I was in great position and feeling strong. We came around a tight corner with ledges on both sides, I was on the outside with about a foot between me and the ledge, this crazy dude came flying up from nowhere and in a feeble attempt tries squeezing himself between me and the curb. He wrapped his drop bars around mine, slammed into the curb and went down hard and took me with him. I landed on top of him with my bike flying into the air. I was soooooooooo pissed at this guy. Now I'm usually a very easy going chill kinda dude, and the only other time I can remember flipping out on someone was when this punk kid stole my brand new mtnbike off my front porch. I found him, flipped out on him and dumped a bag of skittles on his head. Anyways, I started screaming at this guy, I saw red, this guy just ruined this race for me. He walked away from me at a more than brisk pace, dragging behind him his mangled bike. I ripped my bike up to hop back on only to realize my derailer had been ripped right off my frame. I picked up a bale of hay and threw it into the street in a fit of rage. Some guy said "hey that's not cool" I looked him straight in the eye, and guess what I said.............. I said..... "yeah you're right" and picked the hay up and put it back where it belonged, took my shoes off, cause I hate walking with cleats and I walked barefoot back to my car, carrying my bicycle with me. Shit happens in bike racing and I know that it is no use getting pissed off over it, but that's really hard to do when you're in the moment and something like that happens. I cooled down quickly from it and licked my wounds and watched the rest of the fields finish their races. After that race I did pretty well though, I took 4th place at the Beverly criterium, 2nd place at the Salem criterium (congrats to Tom Kroot for taking the W), and 6th at the Capital Region road race. I have been feeling pretty strong on the bike and in the category 4 field and I have had some real<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9v42UMhBfiQdpkJ7SHSKvFzLfK41LsqvJ4LRg0mpwFg70q6nfXhMK5GY835e7yDjuM3iiKOYivQ9XQyLPJBHuKY6DFsLU-dxjJ7GTfGDdlUcV-Qs4j8SBjRS_qdz7mj0uvqa2NEkF8SV/s1600/286415_10150277006672580_536642579_7514571_3004605_o.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9v42UMhBfiQdpkJ7SHSKvFzLfK41LsqvJ4LRg0mpwFg70q6nfXhMK5GY835e7yDjuM3iiKOYivQ9XQyLPJBHuKY6DFsLU-dxjJ7GTfGDdlUcV-Qs4j8SBjRS_qdz7mj0uvqa2NEkF8SV/s320/286415_10150277006672580_536642579_7514571_3004605_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643703990310988866" border="0" /></a>ly good finishes, so I put in for my category 3 upgrade and got DENIED!
<br />I put in for the upgrade right before a camping trip with my new job and after everyone went to sleep, I checked my email on my phone and saw that email from usa cycling and my heart dropped when I opened it and saw that I was denied. I thought for sure I was going to get my upgrade. Oh well, that's how life works. I have a couple races left this year and hopefully I can smash it and get some more points.
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<br />On other fronts, I have an amazing new beard and I need to give photo credit to Dagan who shot this beautiful candid of me in deep thought at the annual Berkshire Bike and Board customer appreciation party. It was a ton of fun, catered by Craig and it seemed like the entire Berkshire cycling community was out that night. Such an awesome crew of so many diverse people that share one thing in common, the love of cycling!
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<br />I spent the weekend in Burlington doing my residency for the independent degree program I started. I met all of my professors and some other really chill IDP students. I really like Burlington college. It's a small private school and they cater very well to non traditional students like myself that have lives outside of school. On the down side, it's a TON of work. I have 24 books to read this semester and over 140 pages of writing to do. I'm taking 2 foundational courses on psychology with one professor, and 3 classes with another professor. They are Shamanism, intro to Transpersonal Psychology and Ecopsychology. I am so stoked to be learning about this stuff, but we will see how I do with planning all my own coursework, reading and researching everything on my own.
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<br />Here's a picture of me with a rocket launcher when I was in the military. I weighed about 185 in this picture, I was a LOT bigger than I am now. Hahahahaha
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<br />The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-85543679816201999662011-07-28T14:07:00.000-07:002011-08-01T09:23:32.198-07:00Home Sweet Home<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI-fKjUjzs-Q4XBahJrWtx0O0EsdNNagvBwNmJCpDmRRs2Dq3UPgdvSrqbQmJ974nfuSBE96Vgh9H7AdeDzDmWILAywUDRCgDchMJuTLZoO6n_Ud8WLOHOJTyZmoAZlq7xg1KT5ebSd70/s1600/249019_218800621482485_100000576460068_782419_3942303_n.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWI-fKjUjzs-Q4XBahJrWtx0O0EsdNNagvBwNmJCpDmRRs2Dq3UPgdvSrqbQmJ974nfuSBE96Vgh9H7AdeDzDmWILAywUDRCgDchMJuTLZoO6n_Ud8WLOHOJTyZmoAZlq7xg1KT5ebSd70/s320/249019_218800621482485_100000576460068_782419_3942303_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635922644724808258" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIx6L7b7U1TbSiKsVowUbgbi55hco-exmh6m8K9BBOFPzcq06hYiMV8_EeQyhODt63PeAy5K0_ERD0uLiOHkYe_UvVQQbrsKjiDX7VidssjFI14P3BnWyor8JVzj7csPmh93Hk_lLgL4b/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIx6L7b7U1TbSiKsVowUbgbi55hco-exmh6m8K9BBOFPzcq06hYiMV8_EeQyhODt63PeAy5K0_ERD0uLiOHkYe_UvVQQbrsKjiDX7VidssjFI14P3BnWyor8JVzj7csPmh93Hk_lLgL4b/s320/photo.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635921805823967234" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, so I know it's been a few months since I blogged last and soooo much has happened since returning from Asia.<br />I took a month off from the internet while I was in Indonesia and doing my yoga teacher training. It was the greatest thing ever! Not being connected and being in one of the most beautiful places in the world was so refreshing, and spiritually rejuvenating.<br />Ok, so where to start.... So much has happened since I've been back. I just finished my last 3 classes at BCC and graduated with my Associates degree. I start at Burlington College in Vermont on Aug 12th. I will be studying Trans-personal Psychology with a concentration in Native American and Eco-Psychology. I am so stoked to be studying something I can apply directly to my life, and hell, a BA is a BA it's not going to matter what I get it in!!<br />I started racing bikes again after a 2 year hiatus from racing. I lost all of my upgrade points and I'm starting all over as a cat 4. Bike touring does NOT make you any faster. It is the best way to travel in a foreign country but you don't get any intensity. So my first race I finished in the top 20 which was awesome, it was a super hilly road race and it was a "rust breaker" for me. I finished 5th in a crit, and then I did the Tour of the Hilltowns and ended up lying in the river around mile 50 because my legs locked up. I have never cramped so bad in my life and the river was the best idea I've ever had. I saw riders flying by, looking at me in the river in envy. Hhahaha, I still finished the race but felt totally drained after. It was sooo hot out that day.<br /><br />It feels really good to be back in the states and have a home base for riding and living. The first time I walked into the grocery store I was totally overwhelmed though. I didn't realize we have 5 million different kinds of yogurt on the shelves. I really miss the sense of community there was in Asia everywhere you went. People live their lives outside and at markets and sure, we have farmers markets but everything is still super expensive and elitist.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0_tBFEZr0u3YFKkejQkZ0DanZXz7LOv20A5IM_S9xK-ppccrUqMuBB3v9bnB8RTeRmSyhPF2xfNGPpEhVicvKMQdEvqcFGSPvCwyX0PsejFxtRx7QruUlT5OUQckx9dem8yMujpz3G0n/s1600/284157_10150271332717580_536642579_7459959_4096113_n.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 305px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0_tBFEZr0u3YFKkejQkZ0DanZXz7LOv20A5IM_S9xK-ppccrUqMuBB3v9bnB8RTeRmSyhPF2xfNGPpEhVicvKMQdEvqcFGSPvCwyX0PsejFxtRx7QruUlT5OUQckx9dem8yMujpz3G0n/s320/284157_10150271332717580_536642579_7459959_4096113_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635921899795210530" border="0" /></a><br />Anyways, I am so glad to be home and I have 2 weeks off before I start school!!!! Time to catch up with friends, spend time with family and ride my bike!!!!<br /><br />But with all of the amazing times, life goes on and there is sorrow. Auntie Lynn and Al both passed away this past month. They were both amazing people. Auntie Lynn was one of the most spontaneous and randomly funny people I knew, she always lit the room up when she walked in, I am so grateful for spending time with her after I got back. Al was also a great dude, he told me all sorts of funny stories about my dad and was always smiling.<br />I have been thinking a lot about impermanence lately and realize anything can happen and I must live my life to best of my ability every day and try and live every day as it were my last.<br /><br /><br />Highlights of the last few months,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhKFnn1YlSdaU_BEGu98m-MkPjZsr1L3QIxu-3vEkiO8Z2N4C9iuAQ92pamNz9K4huDGKsjNBgmMWUndDEBCcmas_WgyzKLiWi6ZslGZQLlP8zUfB8zXbrxP__A0S2an7hxv7nKQ8WgUJ/s1600/photo%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhKFnn1YlSdaU_BEGu98m-MkPjZsr1L3QIxu-3vEkiO8Z2N4C9iuAQ92pamNz9K4huDGKsjNBgmMWUndDEBCcmas_WgyzKLiWi6ZslGZQLlP8zUfB8zXbrxP__A0S2an7hxv7nKQ8WgUJ/s320/photo%25283%2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635921577775467842" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Grand Fundo!!!!<br />Swimming in the Green River<br />Riding bikes with my brother<br />Hiking barefoot with good friends<br />Canoeing to islands<br />Dirt hill climbs<br />Eve of Destrucion<br />New motorcycle<br />Shaving my insane Jesus beard<br />Yoga<br />Hammock on the porch<br />Berkshire summer evenings<br />Super Hero Parties<br /><br />To all my friends, and family,<br />I love you all dearly and I am grateful and thankful for you in my life. You are the reasons I keep doing what I am doing. I wish you all happiness, ease and non-suffering.The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-40134501446157304372011-04-12T01:57:00.000-07:002011-04-12T02:51:02.051-07:00Cameron Highlands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpF_6GHkpcxdXlcwnjBg63su1jLOQoZgtidT76AskUGxFCISWM9ThjXOQnKZMd200izNkH0XNawUueS_hup85sUhM1dVS33oQSXI_kjh6cdLVNc625b0Nkm9XlX-B3XTIa32NGnT2J7Os/s1600/IMG_2079.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpF_6GHkpcxdXlcwnjBg63su1jLOQoZgtidT76AskUGxFCISWM9ThjXOQnKZMd200izNkH0XNawUueS_hup85sUhM1dVS33oQSXI_kjh6cdLVNc625b0Nkm9XlX-B3XTIa32NGnT2J7Os/s320/IMG_2079.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594627787553773314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB6Z-JSOSZWEBNueACFhDbUiP1mGuFEfvORPxJcwMJbz9hyqfNh7P0ZibCD7ydc-CzOZybDTvMo2_b-DX76-MQ9yRi5A4zKOX8vcHEAVHl6BlObTWBjNEFnkovhnMIhINwW4XyO4JSqPR/s1600/IMG_2107.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDB6Z-JSOSZWEBNueACFhDbUiP1mGuFEfvORPxJcwMJbz9hyqfNh7P0ZibCD7ydc-CzOZybDTvMo2_b-DX76-MQ9yRi5A4zKOX8vcHEAVHl6BlObTWBjNEFnkovhnMIhINwW4XyO4JSqPR/s320/IMG_2107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594621155110371922" /></a><br />This place is absolute heaven to me!!!<div>This past week I haven't been able to ride at all, the roads in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh were strewn with crazy traffic that doesn't give a damn about cyclists. </div><div>I stayed with a couchsurfer in KL and in Ipoh, they were my first couchsurfing experiences and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I think it is one of the best ways to</div><div>travel. Joslyn was my first host in KL and she picked me up from the train station, brought me to her place and then showed me the best local spots to eat. The second night we went to a Hoobastank concert in downtown KL. It was sooooo much fun, I danced all night long with locals, they loved dancing with the tall mahtsahlay (white guy) with the big crazy hair. Then I headed to Ipoh a town at the base of the</div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEkzzySAsXUwysNaIvbOo56C6qSqoJ2gcyCvWkz-647ccHHIRJy15Gcg2ZxREA82FKK3-TySLgzRj1FJAtA-v8SRpaZ-2yxJrS-JWniRd8MYFAfUjGd_UtXgtnFbE_ipPryu3tsdNz5na/s320/IMG_2045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594622183225831794" /><div>Cameron highlands and my hosts name was Wen, she also took me to all the awesome local spots and treated me to a chinese dish called thunder tea rice, it was amazing!!! It was 5 bowls of food, desert, and a sweet potato drink all for 10 ringgits, which is just over 3 USD. She brought me around to all these chinese temples built into the sides of caves. Ipoh and KL were both cool towns and they have such an interesting mix of people.</div><div> </div><div>I am now in a little mountain town called Tanah Ratah in the Cameron </div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgoT8ErURU4DBlKJf424l8It98wgGvRK3EGt_4zaQNn2Y7SBCMq_M7iRJvHK-KE6z2nbWNFC0UJFOIT_kSEEXvu6bUsD-RdGjJ0zsvzlHrtbNIALBy8GGyOWUwGjqBYP8vVgM8jymdz2e/s320/IMG_2148.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594623796304881042" /><div>Highlands and this place is sooooo amazing. I LOVE it here, when I got off the bus and stepped outside it was like 15 degrees cooler. I had to walk into town and buy this super cheesy looking sweater for 6 ringgit cause I was cold!!!! I havent been cold in months!!! Usually by 11 the heat is unbearable. </div><div>I went on the most epic ride today past all these tea plantations, strawberry plantations and bee farms. The mountains are about 7,000 feet high and I am right in the middle of them. I rode out to this tea plantation and had a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake and then climbed up the mountain to this little view point and did some yoga all by myself, I didn't see anyone else the entire time I was up there. </div><div><br /></div><div>After some yoga, I got some delicious Indian food then set back on the road for a 10km climb back to town. I could spend a month here and never get bored, theres tons of hiking trails and super cheap amazing food. </div><div><br /></div><div>I just signed up for a yoga teacher training in Bali starting on the 24th. I was randomly thinking of how cool it would be to take my YTT over here and I googled courses in Bali and 4 days after I fly there one starts and the founder and teacher has a studio and does trainings in North Adams as well!!!! Its called Frog Lotus Yoga and I will be a certified yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance when I get back to the states!!!! </div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-23500467190226416532011-04-07T03:20:00.000-07:002011-04-07T03:40:35.582-07:00Malaysia<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb-PcRSSHhd2plL3b3ovSjatPM2EyW1H9Urjz9Dj0DtVZfak4axOU6MUZkmBlM3XqYZxmov_OoL21i9PPZEAwkwMBdvkAuS0K1Poh1z64mLa9xrM0_WmqiV7KzA1S0Zp1FnOX7cmO8TcY/s1600/GOPR0177.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTb-PcRSSHhd2plL3b3ovSjatPM2EyW1H9Urjz9Dj0DtVZfak4axOU6MUZkmBlM3XqYZxmov_OoL21i9PPZEAwkwMBdvkAuS0K1Poh1z64mLa9xrM0_WmqiV7KzA1S0Zp1FnOX7cmO8TcY/s320/GOPR0177.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592785663024203202" /></a><br />I have been slacking in the blog department, it's been over a week since my last update. Krabi was the most amazing place. I stayed at this huge hostel with dorms and I met<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIcxVcXUruei3tltj_HKoFpDav0DIqJMvO1Y9xO53zFF0wGEKlEZo8_2UttI6iH-8Tcg0dUcFlwCn-1d9J5mxw9uk9gv2KG_UJ6DtLt0cq7rBKOJgVREZahEQg1hRPKf6qSGahNMNmWbb2/s320/IMG_1816.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592786443951686002" /> an amazing group of friends that I will never forget. We had all kinds of adventures, from island hopping to jungle fresh water swimming and bouldering and rock climbing on the beach.<div>My friend Tammy also met me in Krabi and we finished up shooting and editing our video application for the Amazing Race.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took off from Krabi yesterday and</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvEj5OuUaLk6hQ-EcnusrcrEU0aivkx_tOF-4BEhEuKf6qAmRSx3tsXelKmcJoWGGBoVHzSBikhVCbVLWkpm0vvk3b9Q4uaPAdDNXUXPmdZF2w4CORg2q-8bj3b6fMJ7sxo5iEl4MRFpg/s320/IMG_1933.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592788631449061442" />spent the day traveling and I am now in Subang Jaya, a suburb of the huge Malaysian city Kuala Lumpur. I flew from Krabi to KL and had to<div> take an hour bus ride to the city center and then take a train to where my couchsurfing host picked me up. I have never seen anything like the train I had to get on. It was like packing a million sardines into a tiny little can, I didn't know you could fit so many people in one tiny space. It didn't help that it was 104 degrees and humid outside, so there was a definite tinge to the air. Anyways I made it here safe and sound and Joslyn my couchsurfing host is so awesome!!! I have my own room to stay in and she took me out last night and showed me some cool touristy sights and then took me for the best meal I have yet in SE Asia!!!! I ordered wayyyy to much food and ended up eating the rest of it for breakfast today.</div><div><br /></div><div>This place is so much different than anywhere I have been in SE Asia, it is very modern and clean. I saw a Malaysian woman at an international supermarket buying a bag of cool ranch doritos!!! hahahahaha, I was in a shopping mall that was 6 stories high and</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPq-dvVkEU4pepMQtkiKrlYmk-BKbSK6-9mxwPo3DTJ3yTGtkiwVkst-sgs4v5ce5YVdKTdwLRutlnfiG04dO2BvfGgClpPyDgkHohW-r-XRCALDeR6Ypg05UTywauOsBgjgn1EDLxUUP/s320/IMG_1942.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592788012990848802" /> they had a big slide you could slide down from the 6th floor, sooooo awesome!!! Theres a big mixture of people here, Indian, Malay, Thai, and Chinese so there is every type of food you can dream of, all for super cheap. Oh man I died and went to heaven, I have been eating all day today. It's also a really rich country so they have all sorts of imported foods 2, so I got a grapefruit from Florida today hahahaha they're my favorite though. Tomorrow night were going to a free concert in downtown KL and then I will catch a bus Saturday to Ipoh and then slowly make my way to the Cameron Highlands for some epic riding, strawberry and tea plantations.<div><div><br /></div></div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-888851120186342204.post-64103981254641714772011-03-29T07:48:00.000-07:002011-03-29T08:55:33.939-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2RSM0fsKLySaQwixouKpe628STMrNsJmJMIeJmVt_sb7TzsKtyKS0Am0v-N0tzFIGsD8NHO9z21Zwr0pBvYaOsYrmbjolPX7JQ3KzBtJRyyI2Fqjvfk42o6joeA912ILdbf7zcneBJjl/s1600/IMG_1771.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2RSM0fsKLySaQwixouKpe628STMrNsJmJMIeJmVt_sb7TzsKtyKS0Am0v-N0tzFIGsD8NHO9z21Zwr0pBvYaOsYrmbjolPX7JQ3KzBtJRyyI2Fqjvfk42o6joeA912ILdbf7zcneBJjl/s320/IMG_1771.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589518885770064450" /></a><br />Oh man, this past 24 hours has been totally insane! <div>I spent the last 4 days in Bangkok and met up with my friend Tammy to work on our Amazing race application. Bangkok is a crazy fast paced city, kind of like NYC but with wayyyyy more street food and vendors. The last time I was in Bangkok I was just arriving in Asia and I felt so overwhelmed, but after being here for a few months and really softening to the whole experience, Bangkok was not that big of a deal. We shot a bunch of footage for our 3 minute video and got this good clip of me talking a tuk tuk driver into letting me drive him around in his tuk tuk, hahahaha it was hilarious.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok so here is where the story gets insane. I got a ticket for a sleeper train to Surat Thani which is in southern Thailand and the train left on schedule and everything was good until about 5.5 hours into the ride the train suddenly stopped and some dude came and said in very broken english that we were heading back to Bangkok, now thank god the woman in the seat/bed next to mine could</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYy8T5sLnzvP0vaXI8EBR9haMJsX2i0cqnogOaP-geDu7H6OGT1tSA57JLFO14bEfFtPjOed1nPbhV9focZIEaRa1kCQaH-AWVMKBmv8oDemJNNfqF6plNPJbj2sVCKmf3D6tsNpb9VPTD/s320/IMG_1795.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589521852174929730" />speak english cause she explained to me that there was massive flooding and we had to turn around. So another 5.5 hours back to Bangkok and we arrive at 5am and get refunded our money, now I'm in a daze from not really sleeping and I have no idea what I'm going to do. I decide to catch a cab to the airport and just hop on the next flight to Krabi, even further in the south. So I get to the airport around 7am and the next flight isn't until 2:45 so I sit around the airport all day and try to sleep on some metal chairs unsuccessfully. Finally I'm in the air<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtWaQ156nHXFxZFwCXpfpPZoKa_O4lkt-QpYt2u_nWmJMZwSRcbyOjILuoGhyphenhyphen4a0IwtfWBCo9Mn0u_x7rtDXttHEjBVkmjWJ2Nf6Su8P-fJf4m5eWUqwlRFrezDOhd7P80t8Q_7BqiqBw/s320/IMG_1788.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589522501363055218" /><div>and I can smell my B.O. through the knock off adidas shirt I bought at the market the night before. We land in Krabi and its pissing rain, I immediately thought of the movie Forest Gump when he's in Vietnam describing all the different kinds of rain, and this rain was the big ol fat rain. I got in a van taxi to head into town and the roads progressively got worse as we made our way closer. Everywhere I looked there were people in this brown dirty water up to their waists, I look another direction and I can only see the roof of a car underwater.</div><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSgm7PyCuXPKITbMyHhYY8DEw9wsL6FJJPCAjeWraaZHRCcO1OLQW3TODm7foTK6B7cuLRpxqx8yMUNaaos9MEXZsem8Q1YQS9xU3swIg1-7KYsXrn6897FNxe64PXQeMYCDjqWgqLxh4b/s320/IMG_1799.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589523156839537634" /><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh030QFkdqvolo7CUvj2ft7k3p8aoVWJwAshOms6-7i56n8-AG_C4S3f3rHUAZTPrTQaltkbX2sYGVf6x0Qml6izN43ymViln2mjvHO3xeU1koBdwL5oGKVR4jV1oapWpHCCIyBNcjC7hzD/s320/IMG_1793.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589520854848397522" />Theres a river flowing down every side street, people wearing life preservers, people in kayaks paddling down the street. The driver decides to head back to the airport and it takes us another hour and a half to get back, as landslides were flowing past the road and motorbikes floating down the street, it was absolute chaos. I have only seen natural disaster like this on the TV from my safe warm living room in the states. Being in the middle of it is a whole different story, I have a whole new respect and compassion for anyone that has to go through anything like this.<div><br /></div><div>So I am camped out in the airport tonight and maybe for a day or 2 more, who knows when this rain will stop. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wish me luck!!!!</div>The Swiftnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18106144314353579804noreply@blogger.com2