Chip Off the Old Potato

Been a while since last here to tell you readers about my boring life that has no excitement ever. But hey at least I am riding my normal bike again and getting ready for my first collegiate season out in Colorado. For now I am home in Ventura visiting the family and friends and training, but of course its raining today, and if I ride in the rain, I get sick - no questions asked! I will be posting the adventures of my life, mostly riding and snowboarding, which will usually include guest star Ryan Cleveland. Speaking of Cleveland, I am thinking of trying Nordic Skiing, anybody have advice about that?

All For Now -
Sam

Wow this is a long time coming...

Sorry I have fallen off the blogging boat but I have had some hectic school times and will start reporting back soon.

Here is something for the masses:
Just so everyone is clear Andrew is a beast who has impressed me since I first met him. He is the nicest guy you can know and not afraid to suffer.

Here is my spin. We started out and about half a lap in Big J Court attacks and the best quote ever from my brother Ryan "Clevage" Cleveland, came into existence: "Hey, Sam is supposed to do that!" Well everything was together then Heeley attacks and we follow and Ramage Damage lays the most vicious attack of the race down. He is followed by two then Ryan goes to the front and Landman follows, so I gap them out front of the field by slowing myself down and they ride up to Damage. That was it. Chases followed but none stuck, so with two to go I went to the front and hammered and Dave followed, and we gapped off to take 6th and 7th after Damage and Clevage took 1,2. Josh led the field in at 10th.

The threes was usual. Attacks and chases all the time and a few cuss words were thrown around like a hot potato. Two laps in a NOW (No One Wins - except Kit haha Just kidding) guy hits Little Dom's wheel and goes down causing a pile up taking out D Court and shattering someone's glasses in their own eye (I found out today that the culprit blamed Dom and called him Chubby which we all know as bogus). With about nine guys from Super Cool Velo in attendence, we were well represented, but I felt like chasing dangerous breaks and getting in a few moves. The plan from the start was that I was to attack with two corners to go, so I stayed near the front to assure a chance. Two corners to go I start accelerating on the right side, but as I did this a Cat 5 disguised as a 3 flew across half the road putting the Soloist (Sam) into the curb, so I backed off and went in between him and an IRun+Fly (Ironfly) guy and get to second wheel with one corner to go heading down the straight at about 60-65 Km/h. I was left for dead in my mind and thought top ten is good, but then I get a second wind and stand up to sprint after being passed by a few including my best bud Ryan taking fourth. 1st place is mine next weekend.

All for now!

I am Mentally Insane!

Well this may throw you for a loop but I have some weird ticks and its hard to describe them but I am not literally crazy. One of them is I have to write whatever I do down to acheive a goal. Like for general fat loss to start riding faster, I have to keep a journal of everything I ate and how many calories I burned and how many miles I rode over which terrain. Since I despise writing, I just cut back on my food a lot. Within about two weeks from now I will be around 140-145 which is my goal weight as I am 6' tall.

CBR Dominguez Hills.

I woke up nicely to pancakes, eggs and sausage made by none other than my wonderful momma. I didnt really have to pack the car due to tiredness the night before so i just drove to the race around 10 and got there around 11:30ish. I got registered did some normal trash talking as per usual and then met up with the team and got ready to go. I rolled up to the line and the race got going and without even trying i had a rather large gap. I put in an effort to get the legs going then let the field catch me. I won a few primes and raced around in circles for a while being myself. With about 5 or 6 laps to go I was off the front by about 20 seconds with Erik Volotkzy. He had a little trouble staying up with me but I made sure not to drop him because he is a great kid and progressing very fast. With two laps remaining we were finally caught and I just stayed near the front but the last lap turned really sketchy and I got boxed in then shut out...By my own team mate! haha. Kit Karzen ended up winning his like 1 billionth race in a row. If you read this you need to upgrade. Just letting you know haha. The normal chitluns were out there including fake-jew-baby Ryan Cleveland, Nate "My Glasses Make me Captain" Swift, Andrew "Motivational Speaker" Bosco, Patrick Torr-mylegsoff-es, Big Kevin "K Mil" Miller, and the buff arm of the law Dave Jacobson. Not sure where we all ended up but as a team we raced "better" than the last race. We still have many flaws to improve on but that will hopefully come with time.

Island View Crit

Well I started off the day with a nice stuffed blunt - wait I mean group ride. Been listening to too much Nickatina. Felt ok and spent half the time trash talking with Ryan Yee about how I didn't want to race for his "Fly V Australia" team (after I asked about it and he said no, haha). I got home then ate and cleaned up then drove to the research park, registered, skated, trash talked some more, got dressed, warmed up and rolled to the start line. Right from the gun a break goes with a bunch of dangerous cats like Cody O'Reilly, Eric Bennett, and Danny Finneran. I was in a bad start spot and didn't get in that break that lapped the field in a matter of about 15 minutes. I hung in and got some primes and with 6 laps to go I shift and BANG! mechanical. Chain goes around the dropout and stay, but I assess the situation and fix it then roll to the pit where they push me back in after a free lap. If that would have happened one lap later I would have been finished. I rode the last laps in a 45x13 spinning about 150 cadence. Sprinted in and got spit on by some idiot, so I raised my hands and came across the line with the infamous female dog lady right there.

James rode a very aggressive race and was in the front 1/3 the whole time killing it and best of all was really helping me out with advice and guidance on where to be and what to do. He really is a great friend and teammate no matter how much we joke around with each other. Well they did not put James on the results but I guess I got 30th.

I crashed

today on my way home from school I crashed on my fix gear cause my foot slipped and my leg locked up and I was bucked from the bicycle. I have some nice road rash on the left side of my body. Ill be fine.

Valley of the Sun and Ontario Races

Two weekends wednesdays ago i left ventura to make my multistop trip to Arizona to race VOS. Wednesday I rode easy with teammate Dominic Galenti IV. Thursday drove to Blythe, CA with good friend Eric Bennett of Now MS Society. Did an easy ride with a few openers to prepare for the time trial the following day and was even chased by a pitbull - TWICE! That got the heartrate going. Friday I warmed up as best I could for the TT but was just not set up right on the bike and had less than adequate fitness due to being sick a week or two before. I had a time of 33:50 which was 57 seconds back from winner Danny Heeley. In the road race I was in a break with one 16 mile lap to go and was about to move into the overall lead when my body shut down and destroyed my hammy in the process. That injury will not leave me alone. I was still in fourth because my break mate - Stephen Leece - won and moved into first. The crit was fast and technical and I had some bowel issues before hand so my warm up was less than adequate there. After I realized I couldn't get off the front I stayed in the front group while Danny Heeley went away and moved back into first with our help of blocking an all out chase.

I ended up fourth overall and Danny Heeley, Stephen Leece and Connor O'Leary took first through third respectively.


Ontario #1 -
I drove from Ventura down to Ontario on Friday to ride with team mate and one of my best friends Ryan Cleveland and his little brother Marcelo (also a good friend). I stayed at there house (thank you so much!) and rode with the team Saturday on the Cow Ride. There was a crash and 4 or so people went down the worst of all being Jim Bosco who dislocated and broke his elbow(?). Sunday morning we all woke up around 6 (I slept till about 630) and then ate some homemade oatmeal and toast (all food thanks to Cecilia "Cici" Cleveland). Ryan and I left at 730 to ride to the course and then got registered and rode the trainers then went to the start line. I attacked from the gun (trademark). Was brought back and countered by teammate Andrew Ramage (wanted him to win) who was also brought back and countered by yours truly. Before I knew it I had a sizeable gap and about a lap later I look back and see a few guys bridging up. In the break was Ramage Damage, Mr. Britain himself - Danny Heeley, and three others. We worked well together and I attacked with two laps to go and was brought back with about a half lap to go and told Damage to counter but he was fried. I have no sprint so I sat on Danny and Jorges wheel to take third, with Ramage fifth. A major shout out to the best team ever, blocking everything that went and helping a ton. Josh, Ryan and Dave were life savers in that race.
The cat 3 race came and I got in a few breaks, dealt with a few idiots, most from Ironfly and took ninth in the sprint I guess.

Up next is the Southern Nevada Stage Race which starts Saturday.

If you want to know what pickles my socks....

It is that even looking at rain in lycra can make me sick so these days when it is raining make me angry cause I am left inside bored out of my mind. I worked all day and now am out to ride the trainer and read Beowulf.

I am leaving town Wednesday to go to the Inland Empire to ride with teammates and sell some bike stuff and get ready to leave for Arizona in the AM of Thursday to race Valley Of the Sun. This is a race that pisses me off more than anything and I love it. I want to win so bad that its annoying and addicting at the same time. I have a feeling of being married to it because its evil but I can't help but do everything for it. It is early season yet I want to be flying for it but if I am there is a good chance of slowing down later. This year I have a TT bike with aero wheels and legs that match the magnitude of the bike. I have a team to work with in the RR and teammates to lead out in the crit. It's awesome and I can't wait.

Well I am off to train some more so its easier to beat Chester.

Forgot to blog

Well two weeks ago was a weekend of debauchery cause I was sick, which lasted all the way through the week til poor college kids road race. Still feeling sick I completed one lap then pulled out succumbing to blown legs and mucus filled lungs and nose.

Day two was Mothballs. I got up and drove up feeling better than the day before but I couldn't eat in the morning, because I would feel sick to my stomache so I had a half eaten bowl of oatmeal in my car all day long. Talk about gross! Well the threes started and I just rode the race thinking i was gonna feel like crap. The opposite was true and I felt great. I made it into a few moves and did a few solo efforts racking up a few primes and blocking for teammates. In the end no matter where Dominic Galenti (teammate) and I went, we were blocked and forced back as if the racers were all against us. Ryan Cleveland ended up 7th and Kevin Miller was 14th. Dom and I ended up 29th and 33rd.

here is my race report to the team:
As some of you may have heard I was seriously ill from Sunday til Thursday last week, and still was feeling the affects this weekend. Saturday I drove up to Los Olivos to race the Poor College Kids Road Race. In the threes, the pace was pretty mellow for the first quarter of the race then the pace ramped up at the turn around and I hung on until the hill then shattered. I rode in and called it a day.

Day two at Mothballs turned out a bit better. In the 3s I got in a couple breaks and won a few primes but both Dom (Little) and I were shut out of the sprint by the sworming peleton, but Ryan ended up in 7th and Kevin was 14th and Dom and I were 29th and 33rd respectively.

The junior race started out well with all of us working together and covering everything that needed to be covered and Ryan and I spent most of the time chasing down break attempts and working so others could do well, so we decided one of us was to be the lead out and he covered an attack with 2 to go so he was spent so for the final lap I went to the front and hammered and came around the final corner first followed by two non sprinters then came Josh with Dom, Dave, and Geoffrey on his wheel who took the first four spots in the sprint. The relegation is the story that followed that will go in history books in a few years.

That is it for now.
Sam Simmons

Cycling Mode: ON

Today is the start of my training and racing season mode of life. I will go to sleep at 9 on a weekend, and eat the healthiest I can while training as well as I can. I won't forget to take my vitamins or do my core work. I will concentrate on laying the hammer down when needed and taking it really easy when I am supposed to. But most of all I will focus on obliterating Chester in every race we do even if its for last and second to last (which I know it won't be).

New year, new team.
I am riding for Southern California Velo this year and must say that so far it is a great experience and can't wait to race as a well organized team. Well I am off to finish the first semester of school so keep them pedals turning, til next time.

Finals week

This week is finals week at Foothill Tech and I have one final the whole week so tomorrow will not involve me attending school but instead riding up to Santa Barbara to get coffee. Training shall be good as I am going to ride the TT bike a bit to start getting used to the set up. As well as some power work to help me do better in TTs and racing all together. More updates this weekend, then the first race is a week and a half away.

January 17-18 weekend

Saturday I started with the Ventura group ride that leaves from Juice on Chestnut. We had an easy spin up to bates at around 18-20 mph. Threw it in a hard gear for bates but still managed to be at the front. We waited for everyone to regroup then we started towards the first lake climb with Ryan Yee and a few other guys messing around and attacking for kicks, then i put it in a 45x17 or so and just grind it out passing them with a response from Scott but he faded and the front group caught me so I just sat on over the first climb then faded about 200 meters from the top of the second climb. I waited up for the SB ride and rode with them up to Carp and rode with Tom Soloday (Time Pro Cycling) after he flatted.

Sunday started out weird with me feeling tired and telling Eric Bennett I would just meet him in SB for the ride. I then woke up around 7:15 got suited up and chased onto the Sunday group ride once again easy up to Bates then harder gear but tried out my sprint and passed a few people for the top spot. The 192 was a pain fest with out of the ordinary attacks from Ventura riders. A group of three consisting of Noble Sr., Tory, and me went up the road and were joined by two others who then split us up with Mark and Mark up the road a few seconds and the three of us chasing. By the end we just opened it up and i passed everyone except for Mark Tucker. I continued to the Santa Barbara Worlds ride. All I can say is FAST!! With paces around the 30s to 40s on the flats and 20s on the hills. I followed Brandon Droese after that and ended up in Isla Vista on accident so I stopped for a rest. Then rode the 45 miles home, which racked up a long 7 hours in the saddle and about 120 miles. BIG MISTAKE! But I am riding easy tomorrow so its all good.

First Race

Of the season is the Poor College Kids Road Race. I will be racing the cat 3s at nine in the morning and I am very excited because the off season has gotten a bit monotonous but still fun. I am just ready to be back in a race even if I don't win, which I hope I will do anyways. I have remained relatively healthy this off season, which is exciting. I am now ready for Valley of the Sun again because I found a replacement fork for the TT bike. After the camp I am just really excited to start racing and getting results that will help ease my way over to Europe this season, because Michael Heitz had answers I was looking for to clarify the questions I had for racing over seas.
Hope to see you out there racing, and always be two steps ahead of the race.

Sam

My first blog entry

Well hello to anyone reading this. I have just tested my fitness for the upcoming race season at the SCNCA junior camp and I rode pretty well, still pushing some harder gears at a slower cadence but the power output has skyrocketed this off season because of it. I am excited to start the season up with a few local opening road races and crits then off to Valley of the Sun from February 13th through the 15th. If I get a good result there hopefully I will be able to make it across the sea in midseason.

Well anyways, I have to finish homework so I can get good grades and graduate.

More to come soon.