UnderTheRugg: #BUCKSORBUST

I've been negligent in keeping up with what's been going on, because too much has been going on! I got back from the cross country trip I tried to chronicle with the idea I'd be able to take it easy for a little while. Instead I found myself sleeping on a couch for two nights and then heading up to Hunter, NY for the Tour of the Catskills. Most of my teammates were toast from all the travel that I had so enthusiastically encouraged them to do... so I felt the pressure to go to this race and represent for the team since I felt responsible for their fatigue. And represent I did with my teammate Jon D'alba, who I shouldn't even mention, since he said he won't read this anyways... but it was awesome racing with him in very trying conditions where we were clearly marked despite being a fraction of a team due to our clubbing at Killington Stage Race some months back. Absorbing a ton of blows and the elements I walked away from the 3-day stage race 2nd overall. Not bad for running on fumes and yearning for that night I'd get to sleep in my own bed again.

After one night of sleeping in my bed, I woke up to a phone call from my coach Jeremiah Bishop telling me I needed to get to Harrisonburg, VA by next week to buckle down training for the UCI 1.2 Bucks County Classic in PA on September 7th. So much for August being a month of partying in DC with the friends before I move away. Instead I crammed as much dancing, drinking, riding around familiar roads, bike shop hopping, and other general hanging out options to include Settlers of Catan in less than a week while trying to meet with potential subletters and packing up to hit the road again. Oh yeah, I went rock climbing too and successfully ascended a 5.9 with a roof my first time! This was while an old roommate of mine was making 5.12's look easy... but I was happy with passing the belay test and climbing for a couple hours with little to no experience prior.

I know, I'm totally skipping the entire trip from Oregon back to DC. It was awesome... seriously the best part of the entire trip. I just don't have anything extraordinary to say about it, I didn't take a lot of pictures, I just soaked it up with Kevin Gottlieb and Chris Keeling as we hit amazing host house after amazing host house, amazing ride after amazing ride, and amazing views after after amazing views. Except Kansas... Kansas wasn't fun or interesting, at all. Sorry, but I'm glad I'm not in Kansas anymore.

So here I am, living in Harrisonburg, VA! I've been here two days and I was introduced properly with a 6-hour ride to include riding up Reddish Knob and a stint in West Virginia and the George Washington National Forest. You can keep up with some of the amazing routes I go on by following me on STRAVA. I don't put all my training up there, just the fun or distinctly epic rides. Nobody wants to see my 2 hour interval rides back and forth on the same roads.

#BUCKSORBUST - This is what it's all about for me right now. I've shown teams that I can play domestique or ride for myself and generally overcome a ton of stress, illness and injury living on the road for a few months. I've shown I'm not afraid to make sacrifices to get where I want to be and that I will continue to make the steps necessary to reach the highest levels in cycling. September 7th is a huge day for me as I take everything I've learned this year and the years before with a month of dedicated focus to Doylestown, PA where I have every intention and ability to put Kelly Benefit Strategies and Diamondback Bicycles on the podium of a UCI race.